WHO IS RAIF BADAWI?
Raif Badawi is a Saudi blogger sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1000 lashes for expressing liberal and secular views. He received the first 50 lashes in 2015. Human rights organisations and the United Nations (UN) expressed outrage, but the Saudis were unmoved. The remaining lashes were due to be administered in weekly 50s — but, thus far, they have not been.
Saudi doctors, usually GPs, assess prisoners prior to punishment,1 and have repeatedly pronounced Mr Badawi unfit for flogging.2 Whether they have done so with the complicity of an embarrassed state, or as a principled stand carrying personal risk, we cannot know. Nevertheless, we condemn any medical professional involvement at all. Do …