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As Saudi King Is Praised on Free Expression, Flogger Blogger Raised by ICP

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 23 -- As the death of late Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is being eulogized by US President Barack Obama, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, it is striking how the issue of striking, or flogging, blogger Raif Badawi has simply disappeared. 

 On January 23, Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access asked the UN Spokesman, video here:

Inner City Press: at the risk of being politically incorrect, on the King of Saudi Arabia, I saw the Secretary-General's statement, I'm trying to square it with what was said from this podium and from Geneva about the flogging of blogger Raif Badawi; is this something, without tying it necessarily to the condolence period, the incoming king, King Salman, can we say that the UN would be calling on him not to just postpone, but cancel this flogging of the blogger?

Spokesman Dujarric: I think our position on cruel and inhuman punishment, wherever it occurs, is unwavering. It doesn't change, no matter who the Head of State of any particular country is. So, I don't see our position on that and our opposition to that changing, whether it's here or the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Inner City Press / FUNCA: But it's sort of an opportunity--

Spokesman Dujarric: I think I've answered.

We'll have more on this.

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