MONTREAL: Imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has been on a hunger strike since Tuesday after being transferred to a "new isolated" prison, his wife, Ensaf Haidar, said on Thursday.

Haidar, who lives in Canada where she and their three children were granted political asylum, confirmed the news by phone after tweeting it.

Colette Lelievre, a Montreal-based campaign organizer with Amnesty International, said Thursday the group had been told Badawi was transferred to a different prison for "administrative reasons." Amnesty had not yet independently confirmed he started a hunger strike.

Badawi, who created and managed an online forum, was found guilty in 2014 of breaking Saudi Arabia's technology laws and for insulting Islam. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes.

Badawi received the first of his 50 lashes in January, prompting strong criticism in Western countries of the kingdom's human rights record.

"I call on his majesty King Salman to pardon my husband," Haidar tweeted earlier in the day. "Please unite my children with their father."

Haidar will be traveling to France to accept the prestigious Sakharov Prize awarded to her husband during a ceremony in Strasbourg on Dec. 16, Lelievre said. The prize, awarded by the European Parliament, is to honor freedom of thought.