Living Archive · Write-a-letter · Urgent medical release · health crisis

Speak up for Raif Badawi.

This letter is tailored to Raif Badawi's case archetype — urgent medical release · health crisis. The opening, framing, and demands change with the situation (a defender in exile, a killed defender, a defender on a watchlist, and a defender in pretrial detention require different asks). Edit as needed, then send from your personal address.

Editable draft · letter to authorities

Your Excellency,

I am writing in urgent concern about the deteriorating health of Raif Badawi, Blogger and activist; co-founder of the Free Saudi Liberals website documenting abuses by religious and morality police., currently detained in Saudi Arabia. Denial of medical care to a defender is a documented form of cruel and degrading treatment.

Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger and co-founder of Free Saudi Liberals, served ten years in prison for posts about free speech and pluralism. He was sentenced to 1,000 lashes, fined one million riyals, and released in 2022 subject to a travel ban.

I respectfully urge your authorities to:
  1. Provide Raif Badawi with immediate, independent medical evaluation and the full treatment that condition requires, including transfer to an independent civilian hospital if necessary;
  2. Grant unconditional access to family and personal physicians of choice;
  3. Release Raif Badawi on humanitarian grounds, consistent with the Nelson Mandela Rules and international standards on the medical care of prisoners;
  4. Issue full medical records to the defender and their family without further delay.
  5. Immediately end all harassment, summons, surveillance, and threats against the family of Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia;
  6. Cease the use of family members as leverage to pressure Raif Badawi into silence;
  7. Drop any fabricated charges against family members and unblock their travel, financial, and professional rights;
  8. Comply with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which explicitly prohibits reprisals against the families of defenders.
  9. Immediately lift the travel ban imposed on Raif Badawi and on any family members affected by the same order;
  10. Restore valid travel documents and remove any border-watch flags placed in connection with peaceful human rights work;
  11. Comply with the ICCPR Article 12 guarantee of freedom of movement.

I will continue to monitor this case until Raif Badawi receives the medical care to which they are entitled.

Respectfully,

[Your name]
[Your city, country]
6 June 2026

Suggested recipients

Saudi Arabia Embassy (London) United Kingdom ukemb@mofa.gov.sa
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders United Nations · OHCHR defenders@ohchr.org
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention United Nations · OHCHR wgad@ohchr.org
EU EEAS Human Rights Division European Union eeas-human-rights@eeas.europa.eu

What to do next

1. Edit the letter to add your specific concerns.
2. Copy, then email it directly from your personal address.
3. CC editorial@humena.org so we can log advocacy volume.

A personal email from a constituent often matters more than a coalition statement.