Saudi Arabian social activist Raif Badawi was first arrested in 2012, he was convicted on several charges in 2013 and sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticize Saudi Arabia’s clerics.
His wife Ensaf Haidar and their kids took refuge in Canada, where they were given asylum, after her life was threatened in Saudi Arabia. Since then she has been very active and committed into defending his husband and making his voice heard.
The U.N. elected Saudi Arabia to its Human Rights Council and yesterday Ensaf Haidar addressed Saudi Arabia; here is the UN Human Rights Council Testimony of Ensaf Haidar, on behalf of UN Watch:
Thank you. I am honored to speak on behalf of United Nations Watch.
My name is Ensaf Haidar. I am the wife of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi.
I wish to address my words to Saudi Arabia, which is sitting here as a member of this Council.
Mr. Ambassador Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, I am here to speak to you as a wife and a mother fighting for the freedom of her husband.
I did not choose this role. It was imposed on me when my world was shattered in 2012 after you arrested my husband.
My husband did not commit any crime. He simply aspired for a better future for his country.
As you know, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1000 lashes for criticizing the excess of the religious establishment in the Saudi Kingdom. He created a liberal forum, wrote a blog, and for that he was imprisoned.
Mr. Ambassador, Raif was expressing an opinion – exercising a universal human right to freedom of opinion.
Ironically, some of what he was demanding are already being implemented in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, Saudi Arabia spoke of these reforms when it was elected as a member of this Council. And yet Raif is still in prison — five years in prison for an opinion? How just is that?
I respectfully take this opportunity to ask: Will His Majesty King Salman please grant clemency to my husband?
Mr. Ambassador, when will our three little children — 13-year-old Najwa, 12-year-old Terad, and 9-year-old Miriyam— get to see their father again?
Mr. Ambassador, I am asking you as a wife and a mother, who did not choose this role. All I am doing is fighting for the release of my husband.
Thank you.
