Secular Activist Raif Badawi Banned from Leaving Saudi Arabia for 10 years

On Saturday, March 12, the Saudi Arabia court confirmed the 10-year travel ban for the human rights activist and blogger Raif Badawi. The ban will effectively imprison Badawi in the country for another ten years.

Released on Friday, March 11, Badawi was arrested in 2012 and jailed for ten years for charges of "insulting Islam."

Saudi Arabia Executes 81 in One Day, Breaking Record in Modern History

On Saturday, March 12, Saudi Arabia executed 81 men, including Yemeni, Syrian, and Saudi nationals. According to SPA (Saudi Press Agency), a state-run media, the men were found guilty on the charges of terrorism and holding “deviant beliefs.”

Secular Activist Raif Badawi Freed from Saudi Prison After 10 Years!

Raif Badawi, a prominent Saudi blogger and human rights advocate, arrested in 2012, is finally free after ten years in prison. Ensaf Haidar, Badawi's wife, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that her husband called her about his release.

"Raif called me. He is free," she said. Haidar is living in Quebec, Canada, along with their three children.

Scandal in Saudi Arabia Over “Scantily-Clad” Dancers at Winter Festival

A controversial samba performance has caused an outcry in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A video posted on Twitter on January 11 showed a group of samba dancers performing on the street during the Jazan Winter Festival.

Journalist Arrested for Apostasy in Saudi Arabia

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for the immediate release of the Saudi-based Yemeni journalist Ali Abu Lahoum. Lahoum was arrested in August and charged with apostasy and insulting Islamic sanctities. On October 26, a criminal court in Najran sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

Saudi Arabia Allows Women To Live Alone Without Male Permission

In a landmark decision earlier this month, Saudi Arabia amended their "Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts'' to allow women to live independently without permission from their male "guardian(s)".