A Saudi court upheld an earlier ruling to jail blogger Raif Badawi even after the case drew international condemnation and strained ties between the kingdom and some European countries.
The ruling against Badawi, which includes 1,000 lashes, is now final, Saudi newspaper Okaz reported. He was convicted of insulting Islam.
In March, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroem was blocked from making a planned speech at the Arab League in Cairo after she called the flogging of Badawi “close to medieval.” German Economy and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel also said the sentence could hurt ties between his country and the world’s top oil exporter.