Image copyright AFP Image caption Samar Badawi, pictured here with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, received an International Women of Courage Award in 2012
Saudi Arabia has said it is freezing all new trade with Canada and expelling its ambassador over its "interference" in the kingdom's domestic affairs.
A Saudi foreign ministry statement said it considered Canada's call last week for the release of detained civil society and women's rights activists a violation of Saudi sovereignty.
Those held include the Saudi-American human rights campaigner Samar Badawi, sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi.
Canada said it was seeking "clarity".
However, foreign ministry spokeswoman Marie-Pier Baril stressed that Canada would "always stand up for the protection of human rights... including women's rights, and freedom of expression around the world".
"Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy," she added.
The leading Saudi women's rights campaigner Manal al-Sharif thanked Canada for "speaking up" and asked when other Western powers would do the same.
But Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir tweeted that Canada's position was based on "misleading information", adding that anyone arrested was "subject to Saudi laws that guarantee their rights".
Who is being held?
Last Tuesday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said at least 15 human rights defenders and women's rights activists critical of the Saudi government had been arrested or detained arbitrarily since 15 May.
Eight of them are believed to have been released pending "procedural reviews", but the whereabouts of several others are unknown.
Among those reportedly still being held are Hatoon al-Fassi, a leading voice for women's participation in civil life; human rights defender Khaled al-Omair; women's rights activists Loujain al-Hathloul, Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Yousef, Nouf Abdulaziz and Mayaa al-Zahrani; Ms Hathloul's 80-year-old lawyer, Ibrahim al-Modaimeegh; and the activist Abdulaziz Meshaal.
Several of those detained have been accused of serious crimes, including "suspicious contact with foreign parties", and could face up to 20 years in prison.
Human rights groups reported that Ms Badawi was also detained last week, along with fellow women's rights campaigner Nassima al-Sadah.
Ms Badawi was given the US International Women of Courage Award in 2012 and is known for challenging Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system. Her brother's wife, Ensaf Haidar, lives in Canada and recently became a Canadian citizen.
Raif Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for "insulting Islam" online back in 2014.
What did Canada say?
Image copyright AFP Image caption Chrystia Freeland called for the release of Samar Badawi and her brother Raif
Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland wrote on Twitter on Thursday that she was "very alarmed" to learn that Ms Badawi had been detained.
"Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time, and we continue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi."
The next day, the Canadian foreign ministry called for their "immediate release".
Skip Twitter post by @CanadaFP 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. — Foreign Policy CAN (@CanadaFP) August 3, 2018 Report
How did Saudi Arabia react?
The Saudi foreign ministry statement expressed "disbelief [at] this negative unfounded comment, which was not based [on] any accurate or true information".
It insisted the activists were being detained lawfully and that the Canadian statements represented "blatant interference in the kingdom's domestic affairs" and "a major, unacceptable affront to the kingdom's laws and judicial process".
The ministry recalled its ambassador to Canada for consultations and declared the Canadian ambassador persona non grata, giving him 24 hours to leave.
Saudi Arabia would also "put on hold all new business and investment transactions with Canada while retaining its right to take further action", it said. Trade between the two countries was worth $3bn (£2.3bn) in 2016.
It also announced it was suspending all scholarships enabling Saudi students to study in Canada. Students already in the country would be relocated. It is unclear how many people this will affect, however, the Vancouver Sun said in 2015 about 5,000 news students arrive from Saudi Arabia each year.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Beirut says the surprise expulsion of the Canadian ambassador highlights the increasingly aggressive - and at times erratic - foreign policy being pursued by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
He has introduced a raft of headline-grabbing reforms, such as lifting the ban on women being allowed to drive. But, our correspondent adds, during the recent crackdown on activists he has also shown that he will not tolerate dissent.
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Saudi Arabia lashed out at Canada on Monday for criticizing the recent arrests of Saudi rights activists, and threatened to break off trade with other Western countries if they too spoke out about political repression in the kingdom.
The unusually harsh response by the Saudi government was the latest evidence that while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is promoting himself as a reformer, championing the loosening of conservative social norms and opening the economy, he is also prepared to punish any perceived challenge to his authority at home or abroad.
Faced with economic troubles at home, and a restless, young population, the crown prince has carried out a crackdown that is extraordinary even by the standards of an absolute monarchy that has never allowed much room for free speech.
After what once would have passed as a pro forma complaint from Canada, Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador, withdrew its ambassador from Canada and froze new business deals and investment with Canada.
Saudi Arabia's state airline is suspending flights in and out of Toronto amid an intensifying diplomatic row with Canada.
Earlier on Monday, Ottawa refused to back down in its defence of human rights after Riyadh froze new trade and investment and expelled the Canadian ambassador in retaliation for the country's call to free arrested Saudi civil society activists.
In her first public response to Saudi Arabia's actions, foreign minister Chrystia Freeland said, "Let me be very clear... Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and women's rights are human rights."
On Monday evening, the airline, Saudia, made the announcement on its Twitter account that it was suspending flights from the 13 August.
The news prompted users to ask how Saudis already on holiday in Canada were going to get back.
"Can I know how my family and I get back after the holiday?" one Twitter user asked Saudia. "We have a confirmed reservation and return tickets on August 24 from Toronto to Riyadh!"
Riyadh on Sunday recalled its ambassador from Canada and gave the Canadian ambassador 24 hours to leave. The Saudi government also banned new trade with Canada, although it was unclear if it would affect existing annual Saudi-Canadian trade of more than £3bn billion and a £10bn defence contract.
The moves were a stern rebuke to Canada after the country on Friday expressed concern over the arrests of activists in Saudi Arabia, including prominent women's rights campaigner Samar Badawi, and called for their release.
Riyadh said that amounted to "a blatant interference in the Kingdom's domestic affairs, against basic international norms and all international protocols."
Saudi Arabia's sudden sharp response to criticism shows the limits of reforms by Saudi Arabia's 32-year-old crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, who runs its day-to-day government. He has launched a campaign of social and economic change, but has not eased the absolute monarchy's total ban on political activism.
In recent months Saudi Arabia has lifted a ban on women driving, but it has also arrested activists, including more than a dozen high profile campaigners for women's rights.
On Monday, Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir again criticised Canada's calls to free arrested civil society activists as a position built on "misleading" information.
Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive 8 show all Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive 1/8 A Saudi woman gestures while driving in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Reuters 2/8 A Saudi woman drives at night in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia Reuters 3/8 Saudi women embrace as they celebrate the lift of the female driving ban in Saudi Arabia Reuters 4/8 A Saudi woman straps in Reuters 5/8 A Saudi woman drives to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters 6/8 Fadya Fahad is one of the first female drivers for Careem, a ride sharing company in Saudi Arabia Getty 7/8 A Saudi woman stops at a petrol station while driving to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters 8/8 A Saudi woman waits for coffee on the commute in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters 1/8 A Saudi woman gestures while driving in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Reuters 2/8 A Saudi woman drives at night in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia Reuters 3/8 Saudi women embrace as they celebrate the lift of the female driving ban in Saudi Arabia Reuters 4/8 A Saudi woman straps in Reuters 5/8 A Saudi woman drives to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters 6/8 Fadya Fahad is one of the first female drivers for Careem, a ride sharing company in Saudi Arabia Getty 7/8 A Saudi woman stops at a petrol station while driving to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters 8/8 A Saudi woman waits for coffee on the commute in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters
The moves, carried on the official Saudi Press Agency caught diplomats in Riyadh off guard. Both the Saudi and Canadian ambassadors were away on leave when it was made.
The kingdom will suspend educational exchange programmes with Canada and move Saudi scholarship recipients to other countries, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya reported on Monday. Neighbours and allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates said they stood with Riyadh, although they did not announce similar measures.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a loose association of the six Gulf Arab countries, Arab League and Palestine also supported Saudi policy. But Qatar, which is locked in a diplomatic rift with Saudi Arabia and other neighbours for over a year, said on its foreign ministry's official Twitter account that the GCC secretary general's statement did not represent its view of the situation.
Additional reporting by Reuters.
Riyadh halts fresh trade ties and warns Ottawa it may take further action
Saudi Arabia has expelled the Canadian ambassador and suspended new trade and investment with Ottawa after Canada’s foreign ministry urged Riyadh to release arrested civil rights activists.
The Saudi foreign ministry has given Dennis Horak 24 hours to leave the country and recalled its own ambassador to Canada, saying that it retained “its rights to take further action”.
“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia ... will not accept interference in its internal affairs or imposed diktats from any country,” the ministry tweeted. “The Canadian position is an overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of #SaudiArabia and is in contravention of the most basic international norms and all the charters governing relations between states.”
Saudi state television later reported that the education ministry was coming up with an “urgent plan” to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates publicly backed Saudi Arabia in the dispute.
In her first public response to Saudi Arabia’s actions, the foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said: “Let me be very clear ... Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and women’s rights are human rights.”
The dispute is believed to have been initiated by Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s 32-year-old crown prince, whose recent foreign policy exploits include the war in Yemen and alleged orchestration of the Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri’s resignation during a visit to the kingdom. Hariri later rescinded the surprise resignation and returned to Beirut.
Justin Trudeau defends Canada's arms sales to Saudi Arabia Read more
On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said Saudi Arabia had arrested the women’s rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah. The arrests were the latest in a government crackdown on activists, clerics and journalists. More than a dozen women’s rights activists have been targeted since May.
Most of those arrested campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the country’s male guardianship system, which requires women to obtain the consent of a male relative for major decisions.
On Friday, Canada said it was gravely concerned about the arrests, including Badawi’s. Her brother Raif Badawi, a dissident blogger, has been imprisoned since 2012. His wife, Ensaf Haidar, lives in Canada and recently became a Canadian citizen.
Analysts described the dispute as part of a wider pushback against external criticism, noting the ultraconservative kingdom’s newly aggressive foreign policy.
“This message is obviously not just being sent to Ottawa,” said Giorgio Cafiero, the chief executive of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington-based risk consultancy. “It’s a message to countries across Europe and across the rest of the world that criticism of Saudi Arabia has consequences.”
Germany similarly has found itself targeted by the kingdom in recent months over comments by its officials on the Saudi-led war in Yemen, while in 2015, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Sweden and stopped issuing work visas for Swedes after the country’s foreign affairs minister criticised a court decision concerning Raif Badawi.
Ali Shihabi, the founder of the Washington-based Arabia Foundation, pointed to domestic concerns in both Canada and Saudi Arabia to explain the row. Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau – under fire for signing off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh – is looking to “defend himself from criticism by grandstanding and issuing tough statements,” Shihabi said in an email.
The crown prince, on the other hand, “sees himself as managing an unprecedented and delicate reform process and doesn’t want outside denunciations making it more difficult, let alone from allies who are beneficiaries of Saudi monies”.
Shihabi said Riyadh’s actions suggest authorities are more concerned about managing the politics surrounding the reform process than public relations.
In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said it confirmed the kingdom’s commitment to refrain from intervening in the internal matters of other countries, including Canada, and in return rejected any intervention in its domestic affairs and internal relations with its citizens.
“Any further step from the Canadian side in that direction will be considered as acknowledgment of our right to interfere in the Canadian domestic affairs,” it said.
Soon after, a surge of Saudi Twitter accounts began expressing concerns over Canada’s treatment of indigenous peoples and support for Quebec’s sovereignty movement, as first reported by Buzzfeed. Others noted the striking similarity in the language being used in the tweets.
Normally, any dispute between Saudi Arabia and Canada would see the United States side with its northern neighbour. But as Bessma Momani, a political science professor at Canada’s University of Waterloo, noted, the kingdom has enjoyed closer relations with Donald Trump, while the American president has taken aim at Trudeau.
“But is Trump relishing in this attempt to slight Trudeau? Did Saudis clear this with DC first?,” she wrote on Twitter. “Odd questions to ask, but we live in odd times.”
On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Canadian foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said Canada was “seriously concerned” by Saudi Arabia’s actions.
“Canada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, very much including women’s rights, and freedom of expression around the world,” she said. “Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy.”
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
