WASHINGTON: Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday urged Saudi Arabia to free Raif Badawi, a blogger jailed and publicly whipped for insulting Islam, in a rare criticism of the US ally as he vowed to champion religious freedom worldwide.
"All four of these men have stood in defence of religious liberty, the exercise of their faith, despite unimaginable pressure. And the American people stand with them," Pence said. Canada, which granted Badawi's wife and three children asylum in 2013, has been particularly outspoken on his case, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling his release a top priority.
In a letter afterward published by German weekly Der Spiegel, Badawi recalled being"surrounded by a cheering crowd who cried incessantly 'Allahu Akbar' ."Among other cases raised by Pence, he urged Pakistan to free Junaid Hafeez, a university lecturer known for his liberal views and accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed.
Pence also pledged to support religious freedom in North Korea - which advocacy groups say is perhaps the world's most repressive state, with even possession of the Bible banned.
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