Saudi Arabia

Raif Badawi’s Ordeal

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

Raif Badawi remains in prison. Raif Badawi still awaits 950 lashes with a whip. Raif Badawi remains in danger …

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June 17, 2017, marks five years in prison for Raif Badawi, the Saudi Arabian writer who is in jail for writing.

There is no new news to report regarding Raif’s condition. The absence of news is a heavy, ever-present reminder that Raif Badawi is always in imminent danger of his punishment being resumed. Saudi Arabia has never publicly stated any intention to free him, reduce his ten-year sentence, or show him any leniency. He is always in imminent danger.
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Five Birthdays in a Saudi Prison

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

“I spoke to Ali a few days ago and he said to me, ‘Don’t worry, mom. My birthday next year will be far more beautiful.'”—Nasrah al-Ahmed, Ali al-Nimr’s mother, in a letter published today by Amnesty International.

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Ali Mohammed al-Nimr turned 22 on Wednesday, December 21. It was his fifth birthday spent in prison. It was his third birthday on death row in Saudi Arabia.

There are two things about Ali al-Nimr that we know today (January 24, 2017), and they are the same two sad, maddening things that we know about Ali every day: He remains in prison in Saudi Arabia and he is awaiting his fate. He still phones his father and mother once a week, which his father reports to the world via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. He is continuing his college studies in prison.

Reprieve, the international human rights organization, created a page for people to sign a birthday card for Ali. This is the link: Wish Ali al-Nimr a Happy Birthday. In less than five days, the number of signatures on it has climbed to more than 16,100.
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Five Birthdays in Prison for Ali al-Nimr

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

Ali Mohammed al-Nimr will turn 22 on Wednesday, December 21. It will be his fifth birthday spent in prison.

There are two things about Ali Mohammed al-Nimr that we know today (December 16, 2016), and they are the same two sad, maddening things that we know about Ali al-Nimr every day: He remains in prison in Saudi Arabia and he is awaiting his fate. He still phones his father and mother once a week, which his father reports to the world via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. He is continuing his college studies in prison.

Reprieve, the international human rights organization, created a page this week for people to sign a birthday card for Ali. In the last hour, the number of signatures on it has climbed from 3000 to 3700 to more than 4300 as of 1:41 p.m. EST. The photo at top is from that card; here is the link: “Wish Ali al-Nimr a Happy Birthday.”
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