Saudi Arabia postponed for a fifth week the flogging of the blogger Raif Badawi, AFP has reported.
The first 50 lashes were given on January 9, but the blogger has avoided further flogging. Amnesty International said. This means his 1,000 lash sentence has not yet been carried out.
There has been widespread international outrage following the case of Badawi, 31, with the United Nations, United States, European Union and Canada joining in with criticism.
“Raef was not flogged again today. We’re not sure why but he remains in prison,” Amnesty, the London-based rights group, said on its Twitter account on Friday.
Badawi’s wife, Ensaf Haider, has sought asylum in Canada with their three children.
The blogger was charged with offenses ranging from cyber crime to disobeying his father and apostasy, or abandoning his faith.
Badawi was first sentenced in 2013 to seven years in prison and 600 lashes, butthe punishment was increased later on and he was fined him one million Saudi riyals, or more than $300,000.
