Saudi Arabia has postponed a planned flogging of blogger Raif Badawi for a fifth consecutive week, according to a report from Amnesty International. Ensaf Haidar, wife of blogger Raif Badawi, takes part in a rally for his freedom, Tuesday, January 13, 2024 in Montreal.
Diana Mehta / The Canadian Press -
TORONTO - Every year a number of Canadians and permanent residents find themselves behind bars in foreign countries — 2016 was no exception. Some cases have been called unjust, others are in the process of being prosecuted and in a handful of cases, some detained Canadians were released and allowed to return home. Here are snapshots of some key cases that made headlines this year.
— Canadian citizens and permanent residents currently detained in cases their supporters have called unjust.
RAIF BADAWI: The Saudi blogger was arrested in 2012 and is currently serving a sentence of two years in jail, 1,000 lashes and a large fine following a 2014 conviction of his criticism of Saudi clerics. The first 50 lashes in his sentence were administered in January 2015. The second round has been postponed multiple times. Badawi is not a Canadian citizen but his wife Ensaf Haidar and their three children live in Sherbrooke, Que. Badawi’s imprisonment has drawn widespread condemnation in Canada and abroad. Ottawa has sought clemency for Badawi and pressed Saudi officials about the case, but is stymied because he isn’t a Canadian citizen. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion has said Canada has offered to take Badawi in.
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