In an action targeting King Abdullah, Amnesty International on Monday urged the Saudi Arabian authorities to release immediately and unconditionally a website founder still detained and on trial one year after his arrest for expressing views online.
After founding "Saudi Arabian Liberals" - an online forum for political and social debate - Raif Badawi, 29, was charged last June with "setting up a website that undermines public security" and ridiculing Islamic religious figures. The prosecution had on the basis of this called for him to be tried for "apostasy," which carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.
He has been detained for the past one year in a prison in Briman in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah since he was arrested on June 17, 2012.
"One year on, Raif Badawi remains behind bars as his trial continues for the 'crime' of encouraging social debate online," said Philip Luther, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Program.
"His detention shows the authorities' contempt for online expression, and serves as a warning to a third of the Saudi population who are resorting to social media to express themselves, particularly if they are thinking of airing dissenting views," he added.
The charges against Raif Badawi relate to a number of articles he has written, including one about Valentine's Day for which he is accused of ridiculing the kingdom's Commission on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
The charges against the website founder also mention his failure to remove articles by other people on his website, including one that insinuates that Al-Imam Mohamed ibn Saud University had become "a den for terrorists."
"Amnesty International considers Raif Badawi to be a prisoner of conscience and therefore calls for him to be released immediately and unconditionally," Luther said.
His trial began in June 2012 in Jeddah District Court, and was marred by irregularities there. According to his lawyer, the original trial judge was replaced by a judge who had advocated that Raif Badawi be punished for "apostasy." His lawyer contested the judge's impartiality in the case.
On December 17, the District Court referred the case to the General Court in Jeddah, which five days later made Raif Badawi sign documents to enable his trial for "apostasy" to proceed.
Conflicting views over which court had jurisdiction over the case, relating in part to the judge at the District Court insisting that he be tried for "apostasy" - something only the General Court can do - resulted in the case being shuffled between several courts. Most recently on June 8, the District Court sent the case back to the appeal court once again insisting that he be tried for "apostasy" despite the appeal court not considering that he be tried on that charge.
"Raif Badawi's trial has been an attempt to intimidate him and others who seek to engage in open debates about the issues that Saudi Arabians face in their daily lives," said Luther.
Over the past two years, Saudi authorities have arrested several others for expressing online views deemed to be contrary to Islam. Bloggers, critics and activists have been increasingly singled out for their online activism in the oil-rich kingdom, Amnesty alleged.
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