Dr. Walid Fitaihi was arrested in 2017 and held without charges for 21 months. Initially, he was held at the Ritz Carlton hotel for the first three months and then transferred to a prison south of Riyadh. In January 2019, he was transferred to a different prison. Fitaihi is being tried on vague charges linked to his social media activity - criticizing the killing of peaceful protestors since ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Asks New Saudi King to Reconsider Badawi Case
Crown Prince Salman has become the new King of Saudi Arabia with a more progressive view of government and his country. With this in mind, the Committee of Concerned Scientists have approached the new King requesting that he review the Badawi case and consider dropping his charges and releasing him from confinement. The King’s views are much more in line with the views that Badawi was ... Continue Reading>>
Raif Badawi Has Written a Book
Raif Badawi, a blogger who was sentenced to flogging by the Saudi Arabian government, has written and published a book of his writings called 1000 Lashes. It is available at some libraries and on Amazon. ... Continue Reading>>
Lashes to Be Carried Out for Saudi Arabian Blogger
Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger who was charged with insulting Islam was sentenced to 10 years in prison and public flogging. He was hurt so badly during the first series of beatings that following ones were postponed. Recently, his family was informed that they would begin again, but not in public. CCS has requested that the conviction be overturned as he was only exercising his right of free speech ... Continue Reading>>
President Obama: Demand that Saudi Arabia Release Badawi and al-Qahtani
In light of the President’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia, CCS requests his assistance in the release of two prisoners: Mohammed al-Qahtani and Raif Badawi. Mohammed al-Qahtani, a Professor of Economics was sentenced in 2013 to 10 years in prison for speaking out for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia. He co-founded the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, calling for Saudi Arabia to implement ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Urges Saudi King to Pardon Blogger
CCS wrote to the King of Saudi Arabia, requesting a pardon for Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian blogger who was sentenced to a 10-year prison term as well as weekly floggings for "insulting Islam through electronic channels." By subjecting Badawi to torture, Saudi Arabia violates agreements that it is party to: The UN Convention Against Torture and the Arab Charter on Human Rights. November 30, ... Continue Reading>>
Raif Badawi, Saudi Blogger, is Awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
Raif Badawi, on October 29, was awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Badawi is a blogger from Saudi Arabia currently serving a prison sentence for insulting Islam on his website. Related articles Jailed, flogged Saudi blogger Badawi wins EU rights prize (washingtonpost.com) Sakharov Prize: nominations for 2015 unveiled (appablog.wordpress.com) ... Continue Reading>>
Saudi Blogger Who Has Been Jailed And Flogged for Insulting Muslim Clerics Awarded Major Free-Speech Award
Raif Badawi was awarded the PEN Pinter Prize (which he shares with British poet James Fenton). Badawi is serving a 10-year sentence for insulting Islam and breaking Saudi Arabia's technology laws with his liberal blog. Related Articles Flogged Saudi blogger wins Pinter free-speech prize (washingtonpost.com) Raif Badawi (concernedscientists.org) ... Continue Reading>>
Saudi Court of Appeals Upholds
Flogging Sentence of Blogger
The Committee of Concerned Scientists appeals to fellow academics to protest this offense against human rights, international law and every humane standard that would subject Raif Badawi to multiple floggings for the offense of expressing his opinion. Take Action: Sign the Petition June 10, 2015 Dr. John L. Hennessy President of Stanford University Building 10, Stanford CA 94305-2061 Dr. ... Continue Reading>>