Raif Badawi, a blogger in Saudi Arabia who has
been imprisoned for violating the nation's anti-
cybercrime law, was given the
death penalty for apostasy by a higher court
Wednesday, his wife told CNN.
Badawi founded the Free Saudi Liberals website and
was originally given a seven-year sentence in July.
A Jeddah criminal court found Badawi, who has
been in prison since June 2012, guilty of insulting
Islam through his website and in television
comments. His lawyer appealed the sentence,
which also included 600 lashes.
A higher court found him guilty of apostasy, his wife
said.
From April: Family pleads for blogger
"It is an emotion I cannot describe. I never imagined
this would happen," she said. "I thought maybe they
would reduce the sentence but this is
unimaginable. The whole thing is about a website."
Badawi's legal troubles started shortly after he
started the Free Saudi Liberals website in 2008. He
was detained for one day and questioned
about the site. Some clerics even branded him an
unbeliever and apostate.
Human rights groups accuse Saudi authorities of
targeting activists through the courts and travel
bans. Amnesty International has said Badawi's
"is clear case of intimidation against him and others
who seek to engage in open debates about the
issues that Saudi Arabians face in their daily
lives."
CNN could not reach the Saudi Arabian government
officials for comment.
Badawi's wife, Ensaf Haidar, and the couple's three
children now live in Lebanon.
been imprisoned for violating the nation's anti-
cybercrime law, was given the
death penalty for apostasy by a higher court
Wednesday, his wife told CNN.
Badawi founded the Free Saudi Liberals website and
was originally given a seven-year sentence in July.
A Jeddah criminal court found Badawi, who has
been in prison since June 2012, guilty of insulting
Islam through his website and in television
comments. His lawyer appealed the sentence,
which also included 600 lashes.
A higher court found him guilty of apostasy, his wife
said.
From April: Family pleads for blogger
"It is an emotion I cannot describe. I never imagined
this would happen," she said. "I thought maybe they
would reduce the sentence but this is
unimaginable. The whole thing is about a website."
Badawi's legal troubles started shortly after he
started the Free Saudi Liberals website in 2008. He
was detained for one day and questioned
about the site. Some clerics even branded him an
unbeliever and apostate.
Human rights groups accuse Saudi authorities of
targeting activists through the courts and travel
bans. Amnesty International has said Badawi's
"is clear case of intimidation against him and others
who seek to engage in open debates about the
issues that Saudi Arabians face in their daily
lives."
CNN could not reach the Saudi Arabian government
officials for comment.
Badawi's wife, Ensaf Haidar, and the couple's three
children now live in Lebanon.
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