A Saudi Arabian blogger has been publicly flogged after being convicted of cybercrime and insulting Islam, reports say.
Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail, was flogged 50 times this morning (Friday) outside a mosque in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after Friday prayers, according to witnesses.
Mr Badawi is the co-founder of a now banned website called the Liberal Saudi Network and was arrested in 2012.
Several international human rights groups condemned his conviction and the US appealed for leniency - urging the Saudi authorities to "cancel this brutal punishment" and to review his case.
.@raif_badawi's flogging today a vicious and cruel act: http://t.co/uW2dkft3NN
— Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) January 9, 2015
In addition to his sentence, Mr Badawi was ordered to pay a fine of 1 million riyals ($266,000; £175,000).
The flogging will be carried out weekly on another 18 occasions, campaigners say, until the 1,000 lashes have been administered.
AFP news agency, quoting people at the scene, said Mr Badawi arrived at the mosque in a police car and had the charges read out to him in front of a crowd.
Despite the severe beating #raifbadawi did not flinch; he held the victory symbol and guard had to hold his hand down. #FreeRaifBadawi
— Elham Manea (@ElhamManea) January 9, 2015
In 2013 Mr Badawi was cleared of apostasy, which could have carried a death sentence.
Last year his lawyer was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of a range of offences in an anti-terrorism court, the Associated Press news agency reported.
