Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger who has been in prison since 2012, has been freed. This was announced by his family. He was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for standing up for freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia. This led to a global outcry and he became an emblem of rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Amnesty International and PEN International also called for his release. In 2015, Badawi was the first recipient of the Difference Day Honorary Title for Freedom of Expression, awarded by VUB and ULB on the international day for freedom of the press (3 May). However, he could not collect the prize himself, as he had been in prison since 2012.
In 2020, VUB (pro-)rector Caroline Pauwels was locked in an isolation cell in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Brussels. In doing so, she supported the action of Amnesty International as it called for the release of blogger Raif Badawi and his lawyer, Waleed Abu al-Khair, from a Saudi prison.