Ensaf Haider, the wife of jailed Saudi blogger, Raif Badawi, has announced the establishment of a foundation in honour of her husband to promote a free press and free speech in the Arab world.
Reuters reports that on September 11, Haider announced in Berlin that the Canadian-based foundation will provide opportunities for non-governmental organizations and individuals to promote freedom of the press and speech in the Arab world as well as a culture of dialogue.
Haider said the foundation does not seek to advertise or engage in propaganda against any government and its objective is the promotion of freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion.
The Free Democratic Party of Germany and Germany’s Deutsche Welle are supporters of the Raif Badawi Foundation.
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi launched a blog in 2008 expressing support for a secular society. In 2012, he was arrested by the Saudi authorities for heresy, for insulting religious figures and institutions and for disturbing public minds and disrupting order. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail and one thousand lashes and also was fined $267,000.
The sentence has been approved by the Saudi Supreme Court.
