12/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - Badawi Affair: Riyadh criticises foreign interference. On Thursday 11 June, Saudi Arabia rejected all criticism of it in the case of blogger Raif Badawi who has been sentenced to ten years in jail and 1,000 lashes. An official source at the Foreign Ministry is quoted by the official press agency SPA as saying that the Kingdom has expressed its disbelief at and condemnation of foreign criticism in the case of Saudi national Raif Badawi. The Saudi justice system is independent and “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not accept any interference in its jurisdiction or internal affairs by any party”, the source went on. The European Union has several times, and as recently as 9 June (see EUROPE 11331), criticised the sentence imposed on Badawi, pointing out that corporal punishment is unacceptable and contrary to human dignity. The EU calls for freedom of expression to be respected. (CG)