Saudi Blogger Cannot Survive 1,000 Lashings, Wife Says

The wife of a Saudi blogger who has been sentenced to 1,000 lashings says that her husband may not be able to physically sustain the punishment.

Jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 public floggings for allegedly insulting Islam when he started a liberal website angled at encouraging Saudis to discuss religion and politics online. In 2012, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 public lashes for allegedly "insulting Islam through electronic channels" and "going beyond the realm of obedience."

According to NPR, Badawi is set to be flogged 50 times per week over a period of 20 weeks. After surviving his first flogging last week, Badawi's wife, Ensaf Haidar, has said that she is not certain her husband will be able to survive a second round of floggings.

 "Raif told me he is in a lot of pain after his flogging, his health is poor and I'm certain he will not be able to cope with another round of lashes," Haidar told NPR from Canada, where she is seeking asylum.

Badawi's wife also told BBC about the pain she felt when she learned her husband had endured such physical punishment.

"What I felt was indescribable. It was an indescribable mixture of sadness and pain," she said.

"[Flogging] is a criminal, horrible punishment. No matter how strong a person he is, he will not be able to cope with that. It is not only physical torture but also psychological torture."

She added: "God willing, he will be strong. He believes in his ideas. He believes in his principles and will continue to do so."