The Saudi Arabian government carried out on Friday the initial installment of a 1,000-lash punishment it meted in May on Raif Badawi who wrote anti-Islam articles in his blog. Besides the flogging, at 50 each week for 20 weeks, he was also given a 10-year prison term.

The first 50 lashes were given outside a mosque in Jeddah after morning prayers, according to witnesses.

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BBC reports that Badawi was transported by a police car and the charges were read to him in front of a crowd before the public flogging. He was standing with his back to the people and his hands and feet were tied while he was whipped. However, his face was visible.

It is not the first time that Badawi, 30, has crossed paths with the clerics of the kingdom. In 2012, he was arrested for criticizing them in his blog. But he was found not guilty of apostasy in 2013; otherwise, he could have been sentenced to death.

Badawi was also fined 1 million riyals or US$266,000. His family fled Saudi Arabia for Canada after his arrest, likely for fear of retribution.

Saudi Arabia carried out the flogging despite calls by Amnesty International and the United States government to cancel the whipping and review the case.

While the U.S. usually asked foreign governments to respect human rights and follow due process when convicts are political detainees, Washington took the unusual step of seeking the reversal of a court decision which could risk straining relationship with Saudi Arabia which is its ally in the ongoing war against the Islamic State.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International (AI) called flogging a vicious act of cruelty banned under international law.

"By ignoring calls to cancel the flogging Saudi Arabia's authorities have demonstrated an abhorrent disregard for the most basic human rights principles," stated Said Bourmedouha of AI.

The flogging comes days after anti-Islam sentiments are high because of the Paris Massacre when the gunmen cited the insult made by the Charlie Hebdo newspaper on Prophet Mohammad.

Lucie Morillon, program director of Reporters Without Borders, said, quoted by Deutsche Welle, "Although Saudi Arabia condemned yesterday's cowardly attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, it is now preparing to inflict the most barbaric punishment on a citizen who used his freedom of expression and information."

In his Facebook account, Badawi posted photos of people carrying "Free Raif" posters.

On January 4, Ani Zonneveld, posted the following comment on Badawi's Facebook account: "Saudi Arabia is the MOST criminal, un-Islamic, kafr State. They are a disgrace to Islam. There is NO PUNISHMENT for freedom of expression in the Quran."

That same day, the Scottish Secular Society awarded Badawi the Aikenhead Award, the group's maiden annual award for commitment to secular values, according to Spencer Fildes, chair of the society.

Tagsraif badawi, Flogging, Islam