By Aziz El Yaakoubi and Ismail Shakil

RIYADH (Reuters) -Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was introduced from prison on Friday following paying 10 yrs at the rear of bars, his spouse claimed, but rights teams said he is even now banned from vacation for another 10 several years.

Badawi, who made and managed an on line discussion board, was arrested in 2012, billed for “insulting Islam” and subsequently sentenced to 10 several years in prison and 1,000 lashes. He gained 50 lashes in 2015.

His general public flogging brought about an intercontinental outcry and prompted strong criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights document, such as its restrictive legislation on political and spiritual expression.

“Immediately after 10 yrs in prison #Raifisfree,” tweeted his spouse Ensaf Haidar, who lives in Canada, where she and their three little ones have been granted political asylum.

Amnesty Intercontinental and Saudi Arabian human legal rights team ALQST reported Badawi is nonetheless struggling with 10 yrs of travel ban.

“Raif Badawi is even now blocked in Saudi Arabia, as he is banned from leaving the state for the next 10 yrs. He is also banned from employing any social media for the subsequent 10 a long time, which gravely boundaries his means to express himself,” Amnesty Worldwide reported in a assertion.

The Saudi govt did not right away react to a request for remark.

“Right after almost a 10 years in prison, Canada is relieved to hear information that Raif Badawi has been produced. My ideas are with his household and liked types,” Canadian International Minister Melanie Joly mentioned on Twitter

Badawi set up the “No cost Saudi Liberals” internet site exactly where he criticized the Saudi clergy and identified as for modifications in the way faith is practiced in Saudi Arabia.

He was also fined 1 million riyals ($266,567). Prosecutors challenged an previously sentence of 7 years and 600 lashes as way too lenient.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has taken a challenging stance around Saudi Arabia’s human rights file, which arrived below rigorous scrutiny immediately after the Oct 2018 murder of distinguished Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.

In a exceptional general public criticism, the United States urged the kingdom on Tuesday to review situations of “prisoners of conscience” and lift journey bans and other restrictions imposed on women’s legal rights activists previously released from jail.

Badawi’s sister, Samar Badawi, was detained in July 2018, together with far more than a dozen other activists, on suspicion of harming Saudi pursuits. She was introduced final year.

(Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh, Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru and Allison Lampert in Montreal Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Will Dunham and Cynthia Osterman)

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