There is some hope Saudi blogger Raif Badawi’s sentence has been suspended and a pardon by the king of Saudi Arabia is imminent, his wife confirmed to CTV Montreal.

Badawi’s wife Ensaf Haidar, who lives in Sherbrooke with their three children, said she feels “very hopeful,” after talks with the Swiss government.

Badawi was sentenced to ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes for criticizing Saudi clerics and advocating secularism.

"I was informed that the sentence of Raif Badawi was suspended!” Haider said. She published the news on a Facebook page dedicated to freeing her husband.

 

Urgent:The Swiss Secretary of State, Said: "I was informed that the sentence of #RaifBadawi was suspended,"...

Posted by Raif Badawi on Friday, 27 November 2015

A Swiss newspaper quotes the Swiss Secretary of Foreign Affairs, who was in Riyadh on official business.

The official said he brought up Badawi's case and was told his sentence of 1,000 lashings had been suspended.

Amnesty International is trying to confirm the news the blogger will be pardoned.

Haidar said she spoke to her husband by phone one week ago and there was no indication he would be freed, but now she hopes he’ll be home in December.

She also tweeted that she recently spoke with the Swiss government, who told her it was working on freeing Badawi.