After&nbsp;10&nbsp;years&nbsp;in&nbsp;prison&nbsp;for "insulting Islam,"&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;blogger&nbsp;and human rights activist&nbsp;Raif&nbsp;Badawi, who has become a symbol of freedom of expression around the world, was&nbsp;released&nbsp;on Friday.

"Raif&nbsp;called me. He is free," his wife Ensaf Haidar, who lives in Canada with their three children and had been fiercely advocating for his release, told AFP.&nbsp;

Badawi's release was also confirmed by a&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;security official, who said on condition of anonymity that "he was&nbsp;released&nbsp;today."

"I jumped when I found out. I couldn't believe it. I can't wait to see my dad, I'm so excited," one of his daughters, Nawja&nbsp;Badawi, 18, told AFP.

The winner of the Reporters Without Borders prize for press freedom was arrested and detained in&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia in 2012 on charges of "insulting Islam."&nbsp;

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At the end of 2014,&nbsp;Badawi, now 38, was sentenced to&nbsp;10&nbsp;years&nbsp;in&nbsp;prison&nbsp;and 50 lashes a week for twenty weeks.

His first flogging in Jeddah square in&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia shocked the world and was described by the United Nations as "cruel and inhuman."&nbsp;After&nbsp;the outcry, he was not lashed again.

"Raif&nbsp;Badawi, human rights defender in&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia, has finally been&nbsp;released!" Amnesty International tweeted.

"Thousands of you have mobilized alongside us in the defense of&nbsp;Raif&nbsp;Badawi&nbsp;for&nbsp;10&nbsp;years. A big thank you to all of you for your tireless support."

Colette Lelievre, a Montreal-based campaign organizer with Amnesty who has worked on&nbsp;Badawi's case, said his release was "a great relief."

"Ensaf was at a loss for words," Lelievre said Friday. "She worked so hard to free her husband that emotions overwhelmed her."

&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;travel ban

Every Friday for almost seven&nbsp;years, Haidar -- who fled to Canada&nbsp;after&nbsp;Badawi's arrest and has since become a Canadian citizen -- held a public vigil for him.

She told AFP in late February at the 374th vigil in Sherbrooke, Quebec where she lives that she'd been able to maintain contact with her husband, speaking with him "up to three times a week" by telephone.

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Canada's Quebec province has paved the way for&nbsp;Badawi&nbsp;to come to the country if he chooses by placing him on a priority list of potential immigrants for humanitarian reasons.

"Finally!" Quebec Premier Francois Legault tweeted Friday about his release, adding: "I keep thinking about the children who will finally see their father!"

No details of&nbsp;Badawi's release conditions were immediately available.

But Amnesty noted that the&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;blogger&nbsp;could still face a&nbsp;10-year ban on all travel outside&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia, as this had been part of his original sentence.

The NGO added in an email to AFP that it would "actively work to have any conditions lifted."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he was "relieved that&nbsp;Raif&nbsp;Badawi&nbsp;has finally been&nbsp;released."&nbsp;

"Our officials are now working to seek clarity on the conditions of his release," he added.

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Irwin Cotler, a former Canadian justice minister and&nbsp;Badawi's international legal counsel, said in a statement he hoped that "Saudi&nbsp;authorities will compassionately allow for his reunification with his wife and young children in Canada."

International non-governmental groups and the United Nations continue to denounce the repression of dissenting voices and the imprisonment of activists in&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia, despite the kingdom's efforts to improve its image by undertaking certain reforms.

Raif&nbsp;Badawi's sister, Samar&nbsp;Badawi, as well as activist Nassima al-Sadah,&nbsp;released&nbsp;in 2021, remain stranded in the kingdom.

A Sunni Muslim like most Saudis,&nbsp;Raif&nbsp;Badawi&nbsp;studied economics and ran an institute for learning English and computer skills, according to his wife.

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<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-saudi-arabia-uae-ignore-phone-calls-from-biden-460694/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Known for his writings in support of freedom of expression, the&nbsp;blogger&nbsp;won the 2014 Reporters Without Borders prize in the net-citizen category.

He was also awarded the Sakharov&nbsp;Prize&nbsp;for Freedom by the European Parliament in 2015, and in 2015 and 2016, he was among the nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.

After 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam," Saudi blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi, who has become a symbol of freedom of expression around the world, was released on Friday.

After 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam," Saudi blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi, who has become a symbol of freedom of expression around the world, was released on Friday. "Raif called me. He is free," his wife Ensaf Haidar, who lives in Canada with their three children and had been fiercely advocating for his release, told AFP. Badawi's release was also confirmed by a Saudi security official, who said on condition of anonymity that "he was released today." "I jumped when I found out. I couldn't believe it. I can't wait to see my dad, I'm so excited," one of his daughters, Nawja Badawi, 18, told AFP. The winner of the Reporters Without Borders prize for press freedom was arrested and detained in Saudi Arabia in 2012 on charges of "insulting Islam." Also read | El Salvador orders arrest of former president over killing of six Jesuits in civil war At the end of 2014, Badawi, now 38, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 50 lashes a week for twenty weeks. His first flogging in Jeddah square in Saudi Arabia shocked the world and was described by the United Nations as "cruel and inhuman." After the outcry, he was not lashed again. "Raif Badawi, human rights defender in Saudi Arabia, has finally been released!" Amnesty International tweeted. "Thousands of you have mobilized alongside us in the defense of Raif Badawi for 10 years. A big thank you to all of you for your tireless support." Colette Lelievre, a Montreal-based campaign organizer with Amnesty who has worked on Badawi's case, said his release was "a great relief." "Ensaf was at a loss for words," Lelievre said Friday. "She worked so hard to free her husband that emotions overwhelmed her." Saudi travel ban Every Friday for almost seven years, Haidar -- who fled to Canada after Badawi's arrest and has since become a Canadian citizen -- held a public vigil for him. She told AFP in late February at the 374th vigil in Sherbrooke, Quebec where she lives that she'd been able to maintain contact with her husband, speaking with him "up to three times a week" by telephone. Also read | 'I'll be a president for all Chileans', says Gabriel Boric Canada's Quebec province has paved the way for Badawi to come to the country if he chooses by placing him on a priority list of potential immigrants for humanitarian reasons. "Finally!" Quebec Premier Francois Legault tweeted Friday about his release, adding: "I keep thinking about the children who will finally see their father!" No details of Badawi's release conditions were immediately available. But Amnesty noted that the Saudi blogger could still face a 10-year ban on all travel outside Saudi Arabia, as this had been part of his original sentence. The NGO added in an email to AFP that it would "actively work to have any conditions lifted." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he was "relieved that Raif Badawi has finally been released." "Our officials are now working to seek clarity on the conditions of his release," he added. Also read | Meta defends policy on calls for violence that angered Russia Irwin Cotler, a former Canadian justice minister and Badawi's international legal counsel, said in a statement he hoped that "Saudi authorities will compassionately allow for his reunification with his wife and young children in Canada." International non-governmental groups and the United Nations continue to denounce the repression of dissenting voices and the imprisonment of activists in Saudi Arabia, despite the kingdom's efforts to improve its image by undertaking certain reforms. Raif Badawi's sister, Samar Badawi, as well as activist Nassima al-Sadah, released in 2021, remain stranded in the kingdom. A Sunni Muslim like most Saudis, Raif Badawi studied economics and ran an institute for learning English and computer skills, according to his wife. Watch | Gravitas: Saudi Arabia, UAE ignore phone calls from Biden Known for his writings in support of freedom of expression, the blogger won the 2014 Reporters Without Borders prize in the net-citizen category. He was also awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom by the European Parliament in 2015, and in 2015 and 2016, he was among the nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi released after 10 years in prison

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday urged <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-people-have-freedom-of-religion-us-should-stop-using-issue-of-religion-to-interfere-china-236881">Saudi Arabia to free Raif Badawi</a>, a blogger jailed for 10 years for insulting Islam, in a rare criticism of the US ally.

Speaking at a high-level State Department conference on religious freedom, Pence listed Badawi along with prisoners in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-gave-you-nobel-peace-prize-for-what-trump-asks-yazidi-activist-nadia-murad-236832">Eritrea, Mauritania and Pakistan</a> who he said were being held for religious expression.

"The American people stand with them, and so today the United States of America calls upon the governments of Eritrea, Mauritania, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to respect the rights of conscience of these men and let these men go," Pence said.

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, was arrested in 2012 and&nbsp;sentenced for 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in 2014 &nbsp;on charges of insulting Islam through electronic channels.

Vice President Mike Pence also vowed to press North Korea to respect freedom of religion, despite the narrow US focus on denuclearisation in high-profile summits.

"You can be confident, as President Trump continues to pursue the denuclearization of North Korea and lasting peace, the United States will continue to stand for freedom of religion of all people of all faiths on the Korean peninsula," he told a major gathering on religious freedom at the State Department.

Pence also informed that the United States is imposing sanctions on the leaders of two Iranian-linked militia groups in Iraq.

"Let me be clear, the United States will not stand idly while Iranian-backed militias spread terror," Pence told a high-level meeting on religious&nbsp;freedom, without naming the individuals targeted.

&nbsp;

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday urged Saudi Arabia to free Raif Badawi, a blogger jailed for 10 years for insulting Islam, in a rare criticism of the US ally.

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday urged Saudi Arabia to free Raif Badawi, a blogger jailed for 10 years for insulting Islam, in a rare criticism of the US ally. Speaking at a high-level State Department conference on religious freedom, Pence listed Badawi along with prisoners in Eritrea, Mauritania and Pakistan who he said were being held for religious expression. "The American people stand with them, and so today the United States of America calls upon the governments of Eritrea, Mauritania, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to respect the rights of conscience of these men and let these men go," Pence said. Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, was arrested in 2012 and sentenced for 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in 2014 on charges of insulting Islam through electronic channels. Vice President Mike Pence also vowed to press North Korea to respect freedom of religion, despite the narrow US focus on denuclearisation in high-profile summits. "You can be confident, as President Trump continues to pursue the denuclearization of North Korea and lasting peace, the United States will continue to stand for freedom of religion of all people of all faiths on the Korean peninsula," he told a major gathering on religious freedom at the State Department. Pence also informed that the United States is imposing sanctions on the leaders of two Iranian-linked militia groups in Iraq. "Let me be clear, the United States will not stand idly while Iranian-backed militias spread terror," Pence told a high-level meeting on religious freedom, without naming the individuals targeted.

Free Badawi and others held in prison for religious expression: US to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced for 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in 2014 &nbsp;on charge of &nbsp;insulting Islam through electronic channels, may face new round of lashes, a co-founder of a Canadian foundation advocating his release said on Tuesday, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

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Evelyne Abitbol, who founded the Raif Badawi Foundation with Badawi&#39;s wife, has claimed that a &quot;reliable source&quot; in Saudi Arabia said that the imprisoned Saudi blogger may face a new flogging.

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Badawi&#39;s public flogging last year triggered a global outcry, the international news agency reported. &nbsp;Reuters, however, pointed out that Saudi embassy officials in Ottawa and Saudi government officials in Riyadh were not immediately available for comment.

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&quot;Unfortunately, it could happen at any time, if it happens,&quot; Abitbol told Reuters on phone in Montreal adding&nbsp;that the he could not name the source but it was the same person who alerted Badawi`s wife, Ensaf Haidar, in 2015 before he received his first 50 lashes, the only part of the flogging that was reportedly administered.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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&quot;We are trying to have the most accurate information possible, because if this information is true, it would be shameful. Canada completely condemns this type of lashing,&quot; Canada`s foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion &nbsp;was quoted as saying by Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Badawi, the &nbsp;Saudi Arabian writer and activist and the creator of the website Free Saudi Liberals, &nbsp;was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by European Parliament last December. &#39;Courage Award 2015 from the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy&#39;, &#39;Aikenhead Award 2015 of Scottish Secular Society&#39; , &#39;Netizen Prize of Reporters without Borders 2014&#39;, are among the other awards he has been awarded.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He has also penned a book, 1000 Lashes, Because I Say What I Think, where he talks about the shocking sentence, human and civil rights, tolerance and the necessary separation of state and religion.

&nbsp;

Several rights groups&nbsp;including Amnesty International have voiced concern over the severe punishment and have been raising voice for his release.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Badawi was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in 2014 for breaking the kingdom's technology laws and insulting Islam

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced for 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in 2014 on charge of insulting Islam through electronic channels, may face new round of lashes, a co-founder of a Canadian foundation advocating his release said on Tuesday, reported Reuters. Evelyne Abitbol, who founded the Raif Badawi Foundation with Badawi's wife, has claimed that a "reliable source" in Saudi Arabia said that the imprisoned Saudi blogger may face a new flogging. Badawi's public flogging last year triggered a global outcry, the international news agency reported. Reuters, however, pointed out that Saudi embassy officials in Ottawa and Saudi government officials in Riyadh were not immediately available for comment. × × "Unfortunately, it could happen at any time, if it happens," Abitbol told Reuters on phone in Montreal adding that the he could not name the source but it was the same person who alerted Badawi`s wife, Ensaf Haidar, in 2015 before he received his first 50 lashes, the only part of the flogging that was reportedly administered. "We are trying to have the most accurate information possible, because if this information is true, it would be shameful. Canada completely condemns this type of lashing," Canada`s foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion was quoted as saying by Reuters. Badawi, the Saudi Arabian writer and activist and the creator of the website Free Saudi Liberals, was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by European Parliament last December. 'Courage Award 2015 from the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy', 'Aikenhead Award 2015 of Scottish Secular Society' , 'Netizen Prize of Reporters without Borders 2014', are among the other awards he has been awarded. He has also penned a book, 1000 Lashes, Because I Say What I Think, where he talks about the shocking sentence, human and civil rights, tolerance and the necessary separation of state and religion. Several rights groups including Amnesty International have voiced concern over the severe punishment and have been raising voice for his release. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi likely to be given more lashes in prison

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Saudi blogger Raif Badawi released after 10 years in prison

Free Badawi and others held in prison for religious expression: US to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi likely to be given more lashes in prison