The Saudi blogger Raif Badawi's won the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov human rights prize.
Sherbrooke, Canada:
The wife of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi said Thursday his winning of the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov human rights prize was a "message of hope and courage."
"I thank the European Parliament. I am very happy about this award," Ensaf Haidar told AFP on behalf of her husband, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison on grounds of insulting Islam. He was arrested in 2012.
"It is a message of hope and courage for him," she said.
It is also a message to the Saudi authorities to the effect that "Raif is not guilty," said his wife, who lives in Canada with their three children.
"I hope that this prize is going to help advance" Badawi's cause and allow him to rejoin his family, said Haidar.
She said she had not spoken to him in six days and was not sure if he even knew that he had won the prize. "When I last spoke with him his morale was low, so I hope this news gives him hope," she said.
Haidar also expressed hope that Justin Trudeau, who is scheduled to be sworn in as Canada's prime minister next week, will intervene to try to get Badawi out of Saudi Arabia.
She has also publicly asked Saudi leader King Salman to pardon her husband and order his release from prison so that he may be reunited with this family in Canada.
"I wish that Raif would be released in time to go get his prize himself on December 16" in Strasbourg, France, she said.
"I thank the European Parliament. I am very happy about this award," Ensaf Haidar told AFP on behalf of her husband, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison on grounds of insulting Islam. He was arrested in 2012.
"It is a message of hope and courage for him," she said.
It is also a message to the Saudi authorities to the effect that "Raif is not guilty," said his wife, who lives in Canada with their three children.
"I hope that this prize is going to help advance" Badawi's cause and allow him to rejoin his family, said Haidar.
She said she had not spoken to him in six days and was not sure if he even knew that he had won the prize. "When I last spoke with him his morale was low, so I hope this news gives him hope," she said.
Haidar also expressed hope that Justin Trudeau, who is scheduled to be sworn in as Canada's prime minister next week, will intervene to try to get Badawi out of Saudi Arabia.
She has also publicly asked Saudi leader King Salman to pardon her husband and order his release from prison so that he may be reunited with this family in Canada.
"I wish that Raif would be released in time to go get his prize himself on December 16" in Strasbourg, France, she said.
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