"The Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has been released after being imprisoned in the kingdom for a decade for 'insulting Islam,' his Canadian-based wife has said."

The London Times reports.

He had set up, in 2008, a website called Free Saudi Liberals, which discussed social issues in Saudi Arabia, promoted freedom of expression and human rights, criticised religious figures and promoted liberal views of Islam. 

After his sentencing a judge recommended that he also be tried for apostasy, which carries the death penalty, because Badawi had refused to “repent to God”. This was not pursued by prosecutors. His lawyer, Waleed Abulkhair, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his statements denouncing severe penalties against Saudi citizens, including Badawi.

He's banned from traveling and journalism for the next 10 years. 

MEANWHILE: "Saudi Arabia has executed 81 men over the past 24 hours, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian national, on charges including terrorism and holding “deviant beliefs“, state news agency SPA said on Saturday" (The Guardian).

"Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has upheld the sentence of 1,000 lashes and 10 years of imprisonment on blogger Raif Badawi..."

"Speaking from Canada, his wife Ensaf Haidar told news agency AFP, 'this is a final decision that is irrevocable.'" 

He had set up, in 2008, a website called Free Saudi Liberals, which discussed social issues in Saudi Arabia, promoted freedom of expression and human rights, criticised religious figures and promoted liberal views of Islam.  

In 2012, Badawi was arrested and charged with "insulting Islam through electronic channels". For four years he had been running the Liberal Saudi Network, which encouraged online debate on religious and political issues.... Saudi Arabia enforces a strict version of Islamic law and does not tolerate political dissent....

"Not only does this postponement... expose the utter brutality of this punishment, it underlines its outrageous inhumanity."

"The notion that Raif Badawi must be allowed to heal so that he can suffer this cruel punishment again and again is macabre and outrageous."

ADDED: That case, from Saudi Arabia, made me think about what Justice Scalia has said about flogging in the United States:

You’ve described yourself as a fainthearted originalist. But really, how fainthearted?

I described myself as that a long time ago. I repudiate that.

So you’re a stouthearted one. 

I try to be. I try to be an honest originalist! I will take the bitter with the sweet! What I used “fainthearted” in reference to was—

Flogging, right? 

Flogging. And what I would say now is, yes, if a state enacted a law permitting flogging, it is immensely stupid, but it is not unconstitutional. A lot of stuff that’s stupid is not unconstitutional. I gave a talk once where I said they ought to pass out to all federal judges a stamp, and the stamp says—Whack! [Pounds his fist.]—STUPID BUT ­CONSTITUTIONAL. Whack! [Pounds again.] STUPID BUT ­CONSTITUTIONAL! Whack! ­STUPID BUT ­CONSTITUTIONAL … [Laughs.] And then somebody sent me one.

"A Saudi Arabian blogger has been publicly flogged after being convicted of cybercrime and insulting Islam..."

"Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail, was flogged 50 times. The flogging will be carried out weekly....