Saudi Arabia has expelled Canada’s ambassador in a fresh diplomatic row between the two countries; Ambassador Dennis Horak was given 24 hours to leave the country by Saudi authorities.
Saudi Arabia expelled the ambassador over what it said was interference in the kingdom’s domestic affairs after Canada’s foreign ministry rebuked the Saudi government for jailing human rights activists.
Saudi Arabia made the announcement several days after Canada called for the immediate release of rights campaigners detained during a recent wave of arrests in Saudi Arabia, including several relatives of naturalised Canadian citizens.
Saudi Arabia also suspended all new trade deals worth billions of dollars and went further to recall its envoy to Canada.
According to Saudi ministry of foreign affairs Canada’s actions were an affront that required a sharp response because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has never accepted any interference in its domestic affairs by any country.
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The Canadian embassy is yet to officially react to the news because according to a staff, the embassy did not have enough information to make a formal statement yet.
They however confirmed that the embassy was aware of the situation but the embassy would continue running its usual operations for the main time.
Canada’s ministry of foreign affairs had tweeted about the crackdown on activists by Saudi authorities, stating that it was gravely concerned about the situation of women rights activists arrested by Saudi Arabia.
“Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists”
Samar is the sister of Raif Badawi, a prominent human rights campaigner sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2014 on charges of insulting Islam in one of his blog posts; his wife and children are naturalised Canadian citizens.
Canada’s minister of foreign affairs had also called for the release of the Badawis a day before the tweet. Minister Chrystia Freeland said, “Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time.”
Saudi authorities arrested Samar Badawi and fellow activist Nassima al-Sadah last month; both campaigned for women’s right to drive as well as the abolishment of the male guardianship system.
Saudi Arabia lifted the decades old ban on women driving in June this year.
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