Canada and Saudi Arabia need “to work out their issues together,” a top State Department official urged Tuesday.
“We would encourage both countries to work out their issues together,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters Tuesday. “It’s a diplomatic issue. Saudi Arabia and Canada can certainly stand to work it out together.”
Canada and Saudi Arabia fell into abrupt disrepair over the state of human rights in the Sunni Arab kingdom. Saudi Arabia expelled Canada’s ambassador and recalled their own envoy to Ottawa after Canadian officials sent a tweet criticizing the arrest of a human rights activist. The controversy pits the United States’ northern neighbor and treaty ally against a key partner for the Trump administration’s plan to counter Iranian aggression in the Middle East.
“[T]he Canadian statement is a blatant interference in the Kingdom’s domestic affairs, against basic international norms and all international protocols,” the Saudi Arabia foreign ministry said Monday. “It is a major, unacceptable affront to the Kingdom’s laws and judicial process, as well as a violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty.”
That was a response to a Canadian tweet about the arrest of leading women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia.
“Very alarmed to learn that Samar Badawi, Raif Badawi’s sister, has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia,” the Friday tweet said. “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.”
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland isn’t apologizing. “Canada will always stand up for human rights, in Canada and around the world, and women’s rights are human rights,” she said.
Nauert offered careful support for Canada, while avoiding rhetoric that might aggravate Saudi officials.
“We would encourage the government of Saudi Arabia overall to address and respect due process and also publicize information on some of its legal cases,” she said. “We have discussed it with the government of Saudi Arabia and its up to the government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this matter out.”
