As Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi faces the second round of his public flogging on Friday, Amnesty international has listed five ways for people across the world to help put an end to the punishment.
Badawi has been sentenced to receive 1,000 lashes, which will be meted out every Friday for the next 19 weeks unless he is deemed medically unfit. Apart from the lashes, Badawai faces a ten-year prison term and a fine of one million Saudi riyals (£157,220) for setting up the Saudi Arabian Free Liberals Forum.
Badawi's wife, who resides in Canada with their three children, said he may not be able to endure the weekly lashes.
"Raif told me he is in a lot of pain after his flogging, his health is poor," she told Amnesty International.
Badawai has already received 50 lashes, and despite a global outcry, he is set to receive 50 more on Friday.
Amnesty International, which has been protesting against the punishment, has listed out ways in which citizens enraged over the issue can protest.
In an article titled 'Five ways you can help Raif Badawai', Amnesty lists out ways the public can help in building pressure on the Saudi Arabian authorities.
Among the steps, the group has pushed for the use of social media to build pressure, especially through Twitter.
"Saudi Arabia is very sensitive about its public image and international standing. If we target officials publicly, they could be forced to respond and publicly shamed into stopping the flogging," the human rights group said.
The group has also urged the public to call for government intervention and to push their respective governments into engaging with Saudi Arabia over the issue.
One such example is that of Canada, where growing calls for the government to intervene has put an arms deal between the two countries under scrutiny, The Globe and Mail reported.
Several politicians have also tweeted in support of Badawi.
Reports of horrendous treatment of Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia. I've raised his case with the Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond.
— Douglas Alexander (@DAlexanderMP) January 13, 2015
Several nations such as United States, Canada, Germany and Norway have already issued calls to Saudi Arabia to drop the punishment, TIME reported.
Amnesty has also listed steps to contact Saudi embassies and also called netizens to tweet support for Badawi.
Twitterati have been voicing their anger since the public flogging last week under the hashtag #FreeRaif.
#Saudi Arabia are set to resume the flogging of Raif Badawi this Friday. Blogging is not a crime. #FreeRaif pic.twitter.com/f4MtrkjFrA Bloggen!
— Ariane de Ranitz (@ArianePSY) January 16, 2015
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, I call upon Saudi Arabia to release Raif Badawi immediately. #FreeRaif — Malek Hussin (@AbdMalekHussin) January 16, 2015
Emir, do you like being a part of the Dark Ages? Is your religion/country so fragile people can't have separate views? #FreeRaif @HRHPSalman
— Colleen (@CRoseJ) January 16, 2015
