Britain urged to shift relations with Saudi Arabia
Middle East nation is the UK's biggest arms buyer
European Union (EU) campaigners called on Monday for a shift in the UK's policy towards Saudi Arabia, its biggest arms buyer, after the Saudi supreme court denied an appeal to Raif Badawi.
Saudi Arabia pointed out last week it would increase its defence budget by 27% over the five next years, whetting other nations' interest in its defence industry.
Badawi, a human rights activist and blogger, was sentenced in 2012 to 1,000 lashes and 10 years imprisonment for creating the “Free Saudi Liberals” website, aimed at holding debates on politics and social issues, which was considered to be an offense against supporters of Islam and religious authorities.
“You have the right to express and think whatever you want as you have the right to declare what you think about it, it is your right to believe or think, have the right to love and to hate, from your right to be a liberal or Islamist,” Badawi wrote in a post.
He received the first 50 lashes in January 2015 outside Jeddah's al-Jafali Mosque, across the road from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is awaiting the remaining floggings.
Human Rights NGO Amnesty International pointed out how Saudi Arabia condemned the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris as ‘cowardly’ but the next day the country flogged Badawi “for exercising his right to free expression.”
A UK Foreign Office spokeswoman said on Monday that the government had raised the case at the most senior levels of government in Saudi Arabia. “And will continue to do so”, she added.
“We are not participating directly in military operations, but are providing support to the Saudi Arabian armed forces through pre-existing arrangements,” she added.
On occasion of the third anniversary of Badawi’s arrest on 17 June, Amnesty International has called for a day of action, with a letter to UK Prime Minister David Cameron set to be delivered to Downing Street.
Questions have to be asked about why more cannot be done to promote human rights in Saudi Arabia
The letter points out that the UK has around £12bn invested in Saudi Arabia, and that Saudi investment in the UK is currently more than £62.5bn, emphasising the strong relationship both countries have.
“Questions have to be asked about why more cannot be done to promote the human rights of citizens of a country with which there is such extensive business,” the letter says.
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