Finland Times

The ministry of foreign affairs on Monday summoned the Interim Chargé d'Affaires of Saudi Arabia, Assem Alsabban to censure the flogging sentence of Saudi Arabian activist Raif Badawi, according to a press release issued by the foreign ministry on Tuesday.

 “Finland condemns the flogging sentence received by Badawi as a serious human rights offence and stresses that it is contrary to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” said the press release.

Corporal punishment or imprisonment as a result of the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression cannot be accepted. Finland and the EU will continue to monitor the situation, the press release added.

According to published reports, Raif Badawi recently was sentenced by a court in Jeddah to 50 lashes every Friday outside a mosque for 20 weeks, to serve 10 years in prison and to pay a fine equivalent to 266,000 US dollars on charges of insulting Islam on his online site "Free Saudi Liberals".