Case: Raif Badawi
Raif Badawi, 30, is co-founder of the website Liberal Saudi Network, which was dedicated to fostering open discussion on social issues and religion but has been shut down. He is currently imprisoned for insulting Islam.
In 2008, Badawi was detained and questioned on charges of apostasy, but was eventually released. However, in June 2012, Badawi was arrested and formally charged with insulting Islam and apostasy – the latter of which could result in punishment as severe as the death penalty. Badawi was reportedly arrested for hosting a website which features content critical of religion, and declaring May 7 as a “day for Saudi liberals.”
A high-level Saudi court has since refused to charge Badawi with apostasy, and cleared him of the death penalty, yet Badawi remains in jail. Sources claim that authorities are in the process of arranging to bring Badawi’s case back to a lower court.