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

Federal deficit shrinks to $300 million in August: Finance Department

OTTAWA — The Finance Department says the federal government's deficit was $300 million in August, down from $2 billion in August 2013.

Federal deficit shrinks to $300 million in August: Finance Department

GDP down 0.1 per cent in August, first month in 2014 to show decline: StatsCan

OTTAWA — Canada's economy slowed unexpectedly in August, the first month to show a decline this year.

GDP down 0.1 per cent in August, first month in 2014 to show decline: StatsCan

Justin Bourque faces precedent-setting sentence for RCMP shootings in Moncton

MONCTON, N.B. — Justin Bourque's killing of three Mounties has been described in court as one of the worst crimes in Canadian history, prompting recommendations from Crown and defence lawyers for the harshest sentence in more than 50 years.