MONTREAL – Amnesty International says Canada needs to enhance its reputation as a defender of human rights and do more to free Raif Badawi.
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Several dozen people, including Badawi’s wife, attended a rally in Montreal Thursday in solidarity with the jailed Saudi blogger, who was arrested in 2012 and sentenced in 2014 for his criticism of Saudi clerics.
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Amnesty spokeswoman Beatrice Vaugrante said she is worried by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s most recent comments on the case.
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Trudeau said last week his government wants to help free Badawi, but must tread warily.
Badawi’s wife, Ensaf Haidar, said her husband has already spent four years behind bars.
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Badawi, who is not Canadian, was sentenced to 10 years in jail as well as 1,000 lashes.
He received the first 50 in January 2015 but is not believed to have had any since.