The second public flogging of a Saudi human rights campaigner has been postponed on medical grounds, to allow him to heal before suffering hundreds of lashes over the coming months.

Amnesty International has denounced the temporary reprieve as "macabre and outrageous, " and has criticised UK ministers for their muted response to the plight of Raif Badawi.

The first instalment of 50 of the 1,000 lashes was administered on Friday of last week. It had been ordered last year by a Saudi court as part of the sentence of the blogger for "insulting Islam" by setting up the Saudi Arabian Liberals website.

The second 50 was due to be carried out in Jeddah after this week's Friday prayers.

According to Amnesty, Badawi was removed from his jail cell this morning and taken to the prison clinic for a medical check-up before the latest round of flogging. The doctor concluded that the wounds had not yet healed properly and that Mr Badawi would not be able to withstand another bout of lashes at this time.

He recommended that the flogging should be postponed until next week.

Amnesty's Said Boumedouha said:

"Not only does this postponement on health grounds expose the utter brutality of this punishment, it underlines its outrageous inhumanity. The notion that Raif Badawi must be allowed to heal so that he can suffer this cruel punishment again and again is macabre and outrageous. Flogging should not be carried out under any circumstances. Flogging is prohibited under international law along with other forms of corporal punishment."

The Foreign Office has said the UK government condemns the use of cruel and degrading punishment in all circumstances.

The Saudi Arabian Embassy in London has declined to comment.