“TOP URGENT” Message from Ensaf Haidar

by | December 10, 2015

Ensaf Haidar, has posted a top urgent message on Facebook with an update on her husband’s condition:

TOP URGENT: Saudi Prison administration transferred Raif Badawi to a new isolated prison and Raif started a hunger strike since Tuesday

The prison administration transferred today my husband Raif Badawi to a new isolated prison called Prison Shabbat Central, located in a deserted and isolated area – around 87 KM from Jeddah City.

This prison is designed for prisoners, whose verdict has been confirmed with a final Adjudication. The Saudi government has repeatedly declared that Raif’s case is under review and is yet to be decided by the Supreme Court.

We express our surprise at this decision especially after the Swiss Secretary of Foreign Affairs Yves Rossier announcement on 28 November that a royal pardon is in the works. And we are very alarmed at the prison administration decision to transfer my husband to the Shabbat Central and fear it may lead to the resumption of his flogging.

As a result of this decision, Raif started in Tuesday a hunger trike and we hold the prison administration responsible for any harm that Raif may suffer.

We take this opportunity to call on his Majesty King Salman to act on his promises and pardon my husband, end his and his family’s ordeal and unite him with his wife and children.

Commemorate Human Rights Day 2015, show solidarity with Raif and sign this petition:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
Issue a safe passage Canadian passport for Raif Badawi

5 thoughts on ““TOP URGENT” Message from Ensaf Haidar

  1. Corwin

    I can sympathise with Raif Badawi’s general position, of course, but there’s nothing more petulant than a hunger strike – except, possibly, for declaring that a hunger striker’s captors or opponents are the ones responsible for any harm that might result. If he’s going to deliberately starve himself, his wife and other supporters should at least respect his agency enough to let him own the consequences of that decision.

    Reply
    1. Tim Underwood

      Come on Corwin, starvation isn’t as painful as flogging is. Justin should say nasty things about them. What in hell can be done in any case?

      Reply
      1. Corwin

        I’m honestly not sure what your point is, or why the painfulness of starvation as opposed to flogging is pivotal here. And do you mean that Justin Trudeau should say nasty things about the Saudi government? I agree, on general principles, but I would expect the effect of such pronouncements to be pretty much nil. Poor Trudeau would just end up looking even more like a clueless, self-important lightweight than he does every other day of the week.

        Reply
        1. Tim Underwood

          Yes, I expect that flogging would be very painful and that a hunger strike might be slightly less so. Also a hunger strike may attract support from other world leaders, such as our Justin.

          We have to (morally)support our Prime Minister on humanitarian projects. Who knows, he may turn out to be sympathetic to our other ethical propositions.

          I don’t expect anything much from the elected officials that setup our national budget. This is the democratic game we have decided is the best available system.

          The work being done by ‘Canadian Atheists’ will produce more long term benefits than the vote-obsessed political leaders will, in regards to our humanitarian concerns. Once the way is paved for them, politicians can reluctantly follow along with progressive legislation occasionally: usually a few decades late and a few thousand dollars short. Politicians are extremely risk adverse.

          Reply
          1. Corwin

            I guess hunger strikes do draw attention and potentially attract support (and sympathy), but I just can’t get past the fact that the suffering and risks involved are entirely self-inflicted. Badawi may be demonstrating a certain amount of raw determination by undertaking a hunger strike – but if he’s going to starve himself, how much additional sympathy does he really deserve? And if he’s hoping that going on hunger strike will reduce his chances of being flogged, starvation might be more damaging to his health in the long run, and of course the Saudis could conceivably go ahead and flog him anyway.

            As for supporting our government on humanitarian projects, I’m lukewarm. I think Canadian foreign policy should be mainly about advancing Canadian interests and supporting Canadian allies, with indiscriminate relief of human suffering as a strictly secondary objective. It’s a bottomless pit anyway, attempts to intervene in delicate international situations often do more harm than good, and any government’s first duty is to its own citizens.

Leave a Reply to Tim Underwood Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.