On the fourth anniversary of his imprisonment, we call on the UK government to do more to secure Raif Badawi’s release.
June 17, 2016Dear Rt. Hon. David Cameron,
In the last four years, the people of Scotland voted to remain in the union, you and your party have moved from a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats to a majority government, and the scene is set for a referendum on our relationship with Europe. In that same time, Raif Badawi has remained in prison, with the consistent and brutal threat of more lashes hanging overhead. His crime? Blogging.
Charged with insulting Islam through electronic channels and brought to court on several charges including apostasy, Raif has become a symbol of both the threat to free expression and the extent to which Saudi Arabia attacks those brave enough to speak out.
On this anniversary we come together to say that this cannot stand, his imprisonment and brutal punishment represents the limits of our commitment to free expression.
We call on the UK government to do more to secure Raif’s release. Any reluctance or resistance on our part undermines our commitment to fundamental freedoms that should form the foundation to any and all of our relationships with key partners across the globe.
Freedom of expression is a barometer of the health of the society; Saudi Arabia’s treatment of Raif and the countless others is a stark indictment of the commonplace repression that challenges any commitment to civil liberties that Saudi Arabia may profess to have. Commitments are not enough; they need to be represented by positive action.
Four years is too long a time to spend in prison, a day is too long when the crime amounts to free expression, but we must ensure that this anniversary is the last Raif Badawi spends behind bars.
We hope you join with us in calling for his immediate release, striking a blow for free expression that would be heard across the globe.
Kind regards,
Abraham T. Zere, PEN Eritrea
Alejandro SÁnchez-Aizcorbe, Peruvian PEN Centre
Ann MacKinnon
Anna Crockatt
Anne Clarke, Scottish PEN
Anne Connolly
Antonio Della Rocca, President, PEN Trieste
Asieh Amini
Aysha Griffin, San Miguel de Allende PEN
Bernard Odendaal, PEN Afrikaans
Billy Kay
Brendan de Caires, PEN Canada
Carol Lopes
Carole Jones
Caroline Grebbell, Scottish PEN
Casimiro de Britgo, PEN International
Chik J Duncan
Chris Powici
Christine De Luca, Scottish PEN
Chrys Salt MBE, Scottish PEN
Claudia Daventry
Danie Marais, PEN Afrikaans
David Harrower
Pauline Desnuelles, PEN Club Suisse Romande
Diana Hendry, Scottish PEN
Dilys Rose
Dr Anna Milsom, Wales PEN Cymru
Dr Anne Lorne Gillies
Dr Mario Relich, Scottish PEN
Dylan Moore, Wales PEN Cymru
Elizabeth Rimmer
Heike Fielder, PEN International – Suisse Romande
Frank Mackay Anim-Appiah, Ghanian PEN Centre
Freya Klier, PEN
Gabrielle Alioth, PEN Centre for German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Gerry Loose, Scottish PEN
Gloria Guardia, Vice President, PEN International
Hans Poppel, PEN Centre for German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Heather MacLeod
Hege Newth Nouri, Norwegian PEN
Iain Maloney
Ian Crockatt
Ian Rankin, Scottish PEN
Iida Simes, Voima Magazine, Finland
Iman Humaydan, PEN Center Lebanon
Ingeborg Senneset, Norwegian PEN
Iseabail Macleod, Scottish PEN
Iva Gavanski, Norwegian PEN
Izak de Vries, PEN Afrikaans
James Kelman
James Robertson, Scottish PEN
Jasmine Donahaye, Wales PEN Cymru
Jay Griffiths
Jeni Williams, Wales PEN Cymru
Jenni Calder, Scottish PEN
Jim Aitken, Scottish PEN
Jo Clifford
Joan H Craig
Joan Lingard
John Aberdein
John Burnett
José Viale Moutinho
Judith Rodriguez, PEN International, Melbourne Centre
Julie Johnstone
Juliet Conlin
Karen Campbell, Scottish PEN
Karina Williamson
Kathrine Sowerby
Kay Goodall
Ken Cockburn
Lara Feigel
Leela Soma, Scottish PEN
Leslie Stevenson
Liesl Graz, PEN Centre Suisse Romande
Lin Anderson
Liz Niven, Scottish PEN
Loubna Freih, PEN Suisse
Lucina Kathmann, PEN International
Taizhi Lu, ICPC and PPdM
Magda Carneci, PEN Romania
Maggie Anderson, Scottish PEN
Magi Gibson
Mandy Haggith
Maoilios Caimbeul
Margo Beck, PEN International
Mark O. Goodwin
Martha P. Donnelly, PEN
Martin Bates
Mary Wight
Maryvelma Smith O’Neil, ARCH Jerusalem
Maureen Myant, Scottish PEN
Bruno-Karim Mercier, PEN Club Swiss Romand
Mille Rode, Secretary General, Danish PEN
Moira Forsyth
Nadja Klier
Neal Ascherson
Nicholas Kawinga, PEN Zambia
Nick Patricca, Chicago Network
Nilanja S. Roy, PEN Delhi
Owen Sheers, Wales PEN Cymru
Patricia Browne Hirschl, PEN
Patrick Dobbs
Per Øhrgaard. President, Danish PEN
Professor Philippe Sands QC
Rachna Sigh
Raffaella Salierno, Pen Catalá
Rebecca John, Wales PEN Cymru
Regi Claire, Scottish PEN
Ricky Monahan Brown
Rishi Majumder
Ropo Ewenla, PEN Nigeria Centre
Rose Ritchie
Sally Baker, Wales PEN Cymru
Sascha Feuchert, PEN Germany
Sharon Steeber, PEN International in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Xue Sheng, ICPC
Sirpa Kähkönen, PEN Finland
Sjón, Icelandic PEN
Stefanie Gollisch, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Stewart McDonald, MP
Sue Reid Sexton, Scottish PEN
Susan Page, PEN San Miguel de Allende
Sytske Sötemann, PEN The Netherlands
Tasja Dorkofikis, English PEN
Teresa Salema Cadete, President, Portuguese PEN Centre
Thomas FitzPatrick, Scottish PEN
Tom Bullough, Wales PEN Cymru
Una Leonie Flett, Scottish PEN
Vida Ognjenovi’, Serbian PEN Centre