The Saudi Arabian blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes could now face the death penalty , his wife has revealed . Raif Badawi hit headlines earlier this year when he was handed the sentence for supposedly insulting Islam . The draconian punishment meant that he would be flogged 50 times every Friday for 20 weeks . Scroll down for video . Saudi blogger Raif Badawi , who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes for 'insulting Islam ' , could now face the death penalty . Leaked video footage taken on a mobile phone showed the first flogging session , as a shackled and standing Mr Badawi was hit on his legs and back by a policeman . But after the first beating in Jeddah on January 9 this year , the process was paused when doctors ruled that a week later his scars had not healed sufficiently for him to face another round . The punishment has since been postponed each week on medical grounds but the government has so far failed to come up with a long term solution . Yesterday Ensaf Haidar , wife of the father-of-three , said her country ’ s criminal courts want him to undergo a retrial for apostasy . She said the ‘ dangerous information ’ had come from ‘ official sources ’ inside the conservative kingdom . If found guilty he could face the death penalty . It comes nearly two years after a judge threw out the charge of apostasy against the 31-year-old blogger in 2013 after he assured the court that he was a Muslim . Ensaf Haidar ( pictured ) , Mr Badawi 's wife , said the Saudi Arabian courts wanted to re-try him for apostasy - which is punishable by the death penalty . Philip Luther , Director of Amnesty ’ s Middle East and North Africa Programme said : ‘ We are looking into reports that Raif might be facing the death penalty again and can ’ t verify that at this stage . Raif and his family must be thinking `` what new hell is this ? '' ‘ The torment of facing each week the possibility of another brutal public flogging is an unimaginable torture . These latest rumours that the death penalty is a possibility again add to the nightmare . ‘ Over a million people have called for Raif ’ s freedom . That should be the only development we ’ re hearing about. ’ Last night Mr Badawi ’ s family explained that the penal court where he faces a retrial now has juristiction over major cases punishable by the death penalty . In a statement the family said : ‘ Due to a new regulation issued by the Supreme Judicial Council on 19.09.2014 , the penal court has now jurisdiction over major cases , which are punishable by the death penalty , amputation and stoning . Distressing : The father-of-three was earlier this month seen being flogged in public by a police officer . ‘ We have reasons to believe without any doubts that the same judge has again asked the Head of the Court of Appeal to charge Raif with ‘ Apostasy ’ . ‘ We call on the world citizens and governments not to leave Raif dragged by such bigots to death . And we renew our calls to his Majesty King Salman to pardon Raif Badawi and allow him to leave for Canada to be united with his family there. ’ Secret footage from a mobile phone showed a shackled Mr Badawi being flogged by a policeman outside a mosque in January . The distresssing pictures were seen all over the world and provoked universal outcry . Mr Badawi ’ s wife fled to Canada with their children but has continued to campaign for his freedom . She says he started a forum that was simply meant to encourage discussion of the Muslim faith . After seeing the video , she said : ‘ Every lash killed me . ’
al Raif Badawi was sentenced to 500 lashes for ' insulting Islam ' But the prosecutor 's office says Saudi courts want him to undergo a retrial . If he is found guilty of apostasy , Mr he could face the death penalty . Shocking footage revealed in January showed the blogger being tortured .