Last May, Raif Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1000 public lashes for creating an online website and forum entitled “Free Saudi Liberals”. Amnesty International is reporting that the first of the public lashings will take place on Friday after prayers, and Badawi is to receive up to 50 lashes at that time. The remainder of his lashes are to be carried out throughout the next 20 weeks. Human Rights groups hold that the Saudi state’s persecution of Badawi is part of a larger crackdown on dissent within the Kingdom. Badawi’s wife and family fled Saudi Arabia and arrived in Canada after his conviction and sentencing. Human rights activists in Ottawa are planning to demonstrate outside of the Saudi Arabian embassy this afternoon to protest Badawi’s punishment. Amnesty International considers Badawi as a prisoner of conscience.