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Raif Badawi escapes weekly flogging again in Saudi Arabia

Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger jailed for criticizing Islam, has had his weekly lashes delayed for a fifth time according to Amnesty International.

Amnesty International reporting Badawi did not see a doctor before having lashes postponed for 5th week

Raif Badawi was sentenced to receive 1,000 lashes, as well as spend 10 years in jail, for criticizing Muslim clerics in Saudi Arabia. (Amnesty International Canada)

Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger jailed for criticizing Islam, has had his weekly lashes delayed for a fifth time according to Amnesty International.

He was sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes, to be delivered in batches of 50 every week.

He was flogged for the first time on Jan. 9. However, the next five flogging sessions were postponed. At least two of the postponements were due to medical reasons.

Ensaf Haidar (centre), the wife of Raif Badawi, protested on Parliament Hill in January for the release of the jailed Saudi blogger. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

He has not been seen by a doctor, according to the international human-rights organization.

Badawi is a 32-year-old blogger and activist. His wife and three children are refugees living in Sherbrooke, Que.

His case was transferred to the Saudi criminal court last week.

Badawi was arrested in June 2012 after criticizing the Saudi regime and expressing views critical of Islam on his blog. 

Amnesty International is calling for Badawi's sentence to be quashed and for him to be released immediately and unconditionally so he can join his family in Canada.