Saudi Arabia sanctions Canada over its call for the release of human rights activists

A tweet by Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland criticising the detention of a Saudi activist has sparked backlash sanctions from Saudi Arabia. The tweet called for the release of Samar Badawi, sister of jailed dissident Raif Badawi, whose wife and children are Canadian citizens. This was followed by a tweet from a Canadian government account calling for the release of ‘all other peaceful human rights activists.’

Saudi’s foreign ministry called the statement ‘a major, unacceptable affront to the Kingdom’s laws and judicial process’. The government imposed the following measures with effect from 6 August:

• The recall of the Saudi Arabian ambassador and expulsion of the Canadian ambassador;
• The suspension of flights from state-run Saudi Airlines to Toronto;
• The withdrawal of around 12,000 Saudi citizens studying at Canadian universities;
• The freezing of all new trade with Canada (bar oil shipments).

The future of a controversial $12bn arms deal between the two countries is undecided. The Canadian government’s issue of export permits authorising the export of light armoured vehicles to Riyadh has received considerable negative coverage in the press over their possible use in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen.