Canada recently offered refuge to Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced with rigorous imprisonment and public flogging for promoting liberal ideas. According to sources, Canada added Badawi as a priority to its immigrant list on humanitarian grounds so that he can soon join his family members who already live in Quebec. At the time of Badawi’s arrest in 2012, his wife Ensaf Haider and three children managed to flee from Saudi Arabia to Sherbrooke, Quebec, where they have been living since.

According to recent reports, the province of Quebec offered Badawi an immigration selection certificate, which is expected to help him immigrate more quickly after being set free.

“These are issued in exceptional circumstances to foreigners in need of protection,” Quebec Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil said.

She added that by acquiring such a selection certificate from Quebec, Badawi could pursue immigration processes directly with the federal government. The certificate is expected to be handed over to Haidar at a ceremony in Montreal. Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney also pointed out that the offer would help Badawi immigrate to Canada by breaking the logjam and bringing a happy end to his situation.

There was global outrage after a lower court in Saudi Arabia sentenced the blogger to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes for allegedly insulting Islam. He was also slapped with a hefty fine of $266,600 for advocating liberal ideas that included criticizing Islam and demanding a democracy in the kingdom.

While 31-year-old Badawi was already handed down the first 50 lashes outside a mosque in Jeddah in January this year, his subsequent lashes were put off, as he had not yet recovered from the first set of flogging. Some sources also say that the lashes were put off because of the international outcry that has taken place since his arrest three years ago.

To make matters worse, the country’s Supreme Court upheld Badawi’s conviction last month and now his sentence can be overturned only by a royal pardon from Saudi Arabia’s new King Salman. On June 11, the kingdom condemned all the foreign criticism that Badawi’s sentence has received, saying it is not being allowed to carry out a ruling that has been upheld by the country’s highest court.

Mirelle Eichacar, an official of Amnesty International, Sherbrooke, said:

“The federal (government) is not moving sufficiently in our opinion. We want Canada to do more. … The ball is in its court and it can take stronger steps for Badawi to be reunited with his family.”

The organization also urged Rob Nicholson, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, to use his influence in persuading Saudi Arabia to have Badawi’s inhumane sentence vacated.

Elham Manea, a spokesperson for Badawi’s family, said they are grateful that his second set of lashes has not been executed. Manea also thanked all those who campaigned against Badawi’s sentence while pleading King Salman to pardon the blogger so he could reunite with his family.

Photo Credits: David Hencke