International | The flogging of a Saudi blogger

Victim of hypocrites

International outrage halts a Saudi punishment—but for how long?

French lessons
|CAIRO

THE Middle East is a black spot for free speech. Its countries come near the bottom in rankings of press freedom, and most criminalise blasphemy and apostasy (renouncing Islam). But even by such dismal standards, Saudi Arabia stands out. Penalties for transgressing its religious and political strictures, even in word, include hefty fines and jail sentences, beatings and beheadings. Human Rights Watch, a monitoring group, notes a surge in executions since August. By some counts at least ten people have been put to death so far this year.

Has the kingdom finally gone a step too far? On January 16th the authorities said they would delay the second round of lashes for Raif Badawi, found guilty last year of insulting Islam on his blog. His calls for greater liberty in politics and religion earned him a large fine, ten years in jail and 1,000 lashes, to be administered weekly, 50 at a time. A charge of apostasy, which carries the death sentence, was dropped.

Medical reasons were cited for the delay: the wounds from Mr Badawi’s first flogging, on January 9th, had yet to heal. But Saudi-watchers reckon international pressure played a bigger part. Critics in several countries drew parallels with the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Both were violent retaliation for perceived insults to Islam: one carried out by radicalised youths inspired by Islamist terrorists, the other by a fundamentalist state. Others condemned the hypocrisy of the Saudi ambassador to France marching in Paris to express solidarity with the murdered journalists—two days after Mr Badawi was taken from his prison cell and flogged in a town square in Jeddah.

King Abdullah is thought to have referred Mr Badawi’s case to the Supreme Court, which may be a face-saving way of lightening his punishment. But the blogger will not be the last to suffer for speaking out. Though some Saudis long for greater political and religious freedom, many, like the clerics who prop up the ruling Al Saud family, demand heavy-handed enforcement of the strict Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam.

In recent days America and Britain have spoken out against Mr Badawi’s treatment. But for the most part, when it comes to free speech in the world’s biggest oil supplier and a valued ally against the jihadists of Islamic State, Western governments tend to hold their tongues.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline "Victim of hypocrites"

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