LI full member, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE) Group, has passed a resolution condemning the unjust detention and cruel punishment of Saudi liberal blogger, Raif Badawi, for insulting Islam.

In a statement from his office in the European Parliament addressing the urgency of his release and the will of the Saudi people to speak freely and openly, LI Human Rights Committee member, Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP, said:

The punishment against Raif Badawi is a cruel attack on human rights. The methods of his punishment are particularly cruel and life-threatening and something that the European community must openly reject. I am particularly concerned with the fact that Raif Badawi’s case is not accidental: the arrest of the co-founder of the Saudi Liberal network and women’s rights advocate Souad Al-Shammari is indicative of the censurship imposed on the freedom of speech in the Saudi Kingdom.

Elaborating further on the importance the European liberals place on the respect for human rights in its foreign policy, Kyuchyuk continued:

Saudi Arabia is an important ally and strategic partner of the EU in the fight against global terrorism. Lots of crises in the region were avoided due to Saud Arabia’s moderate diplomacy but we cannot ignore the fact that the European Union values human rights as universal and indivisible. Therefore, Human Rights will always be at the forefront of EU’s relations with other countries.

LI Vice-President on the Bureau, Baroness Falkner¸ previously called on the UK government to intensify dialogue with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with regards to freedom of speech. Joining her, liberals from across Europe and the Arab region have also expressed outrage at Badawi’s sentence, which includes 1000 lashes. The President of LI cooperating organisation, Arab Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AAFD), emphasised that Mr. Badawi “has committed no crime… [nor do his actions] contradict the essence of Islam”.

Badawi is the co-founder of the now-banned Saudi Liberal Network along with women’s rights campaigner Souad al-Shammari, who was also arrested for insulting Islam but has now been released.