Stuck in Saudi prison, Raif Badawi receives honorary degree for defence of free speech

Five years after Raif Badawi was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia because of his liberal blog, he washonoured byUniversitde Sherbrooke, the city where his wife and kids have lived for the past three years.

His wife Ensaf Haidaracceptedthe degree on his behalf.

"Things like this give him courage and hope,"Haidartold the crowd.

She wasable to speak with her husband Tuesday. Hedictated an acceptance speech to her. In it, he thanked everyone in Sherbrooke for remembering him and his cause.

The university isawarding Badawianhonorarydoctoratefor "his exceptional contribution to the defence of freedom of expression."

10-year prison sentence, 1,000 lashes

Badawiwas sentenced to 10 years in prisonand fined $300,000 for insulting Islam and religious figures on hisblog a punishment that wasdecried by human rights defendersworldwide at the time.

Haidar fled her home country forEgypt, then Lebanonwith the couple'sthree children after Badawiwas arrested on June 17,2012, before coming to Canada. They were granted political asylum in 2013.

He received 50 lashes at the beginning of the sentencebut hasn't been flogged since, following public outcry over his treatment.

His original sentence included atotal 1,000 lashes.

Haidar said while Badawi'sprison conditions have improved overall,he seldom is ableto call because ofwhat it costs him, financially and emotionally.

The coming fifth-year anniversary of his arrest "has not been easy for him, it's been really difficult," she said.

Badawi's fight for free speech now her own

Haidarcontinues to fight for her husband'srelease.

Shecalls theirrelationship a "Romeo and Juliet" love story.

It startedin her teens, when she accidentally called him from her brother's phone. They would secretlycatch glimpses of each other after her parents forbade them from seeing each other.

He soon proposed.

Since Badawi'sdetention, Haidarhaspartnered with Amnesty International, whichhas taken up hiscause assupporters continue to protest and call for his release.

Shecontinuously updates her social media feeds on his status and on demonstrations condemning his imprisonment.

Haidaralso created the Fondation Raif Badawi pour la libertin 2015 to defend free speech in the Middle East, which she says Badawi plans on upholding when he is released.

The federal and Quebec governmentshaveassured her he willbe granted asylum.

Quebechas already set aside a selection certificate that would speed up the immigration process. And on a visitto Sherbrooke this winter,Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised her Badawi would be able to become a citizen, she said.

Last week, her children were the onessending a plea toTrudeauto call the king of Saudi Arabiain a video posted toYoutubeby Amnesty International.

"We've waited too long, we need to see our father," their youngest daughter,Myriam, says in the video.

Government treads carefully

The dean ofUniversitde Sherbrooke's faculty of law which first proposedgivingBadawithe degree,though it's being granted by the institution as a whole says the university wanted to "make sure that this great injustice that Mr.Badawihas been suffering does not go unnoticed."

"Universities are built on free speech,are built on the free exchange of ideas and therefore if universities don't stand up for those values, then who will?" saidSbastienLebel-Grenier, the dean, adding it was important to take a stand on values the students will apply in theirprofessions.

Lebel-Greniersaid it was hard to comment Canada's response because diplomatic actions are "by their nature confidential," adding, "we all feel very frustrated that this has been going on for five years now."

In the fall, former foreign affairs minister Stphane Dion said, "the Canadian government invites, indeed, insists that the Saudi Arabian government and the king show clemency and permit Mr. Badawi to join his family here in Canada."

But earlier that year, Trudeau took flak forsaying the government was treading carefully.

"Obviously, we want to be able to help," Trudeau said in an interview with Montreal radio station 98.5 FM."Sometimes, pushing too hard, too quickly has harmful consequences for the people you want to try to help."

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In the years since they've arrived, the Badawi family has been adapting well to theirnew city and country, Haidarsaid, adding her children love their school and friends.

"Sherbrooke is our family. We continue, we won't let go," said Haidar, adding that she wants to "thank everyone and ask that no one forgets" Badawi'splight.