National

Politicians call on Ottawa to help secure release of Saudi blogger

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 13 Jan, 2015 10:52 AM

MONTREAL — Several politicians are calling on Ottawa and Quebec to help secure the freedom of a Saudi blogger who was flogged 50 times last week after being convicted of insulting Islam.

Raif Badawi's wife and children live in Quebec.

Representatives of the federal NDP, the Parti Quebecois and Quebec solidaire held a news conference in Montreal this morning urging Ottawa and Quebec to do more to help free Badawi.

Badawi was sentenced last May to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes after he criticized Saudi Arabia's powerful clerics on a liberal blog he founded.

International Development Minister Christian Paradis was asked about Badawi at a news conference in Quebec City today and said the case is complicated because he is not a Canadian citizen.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Declare those who died serving Canada in world wars Canadian citizens: petition

VANCOUVER — When tribute is paid on Remembrance Day to the soldiers, sailors and flyers killed in the service of Canada during two world wars, Canadians also need to think about citizenship, say two advocacy groups.

Declare those who died serving Canada in world wars Canadian citizens: petition

Eaton Centre shooting trial hears from girlfriend of accused

TORONTO — The girlfriend of a man who killed two people when he opened fire at Toronto's Eaton Centre says he told her he got himself into "some trouble" and was "going away for a really long time."

Eaton Centre shooting trial hears from girlfriend of accused

New book offers insider insights into some of Canada's most notorious crimes

TORONTO — From the notorious rape and murder of two Ontario school girls to the notorious wrongful conviction of Thomas Sophonow in Manitoba, from the grisly to the tragic to the weird, Canada has thrown up its share of riveting, horrific and even bizarre criminal cases.

New book offers insider insights into some of Canada's most notorious crimes

TPP deal getting closer as logjam's are broken, Obama, Harper, other leaders say

BEIJING — Prime Minister Stephen Harper and 11 other world leaders said Monday they're inching ever closer to an agreement on the proposed Asia-Pacific trade deal as a crucial year-end deadline approaches.