TRUDEAU STANDS FIRM ON CRITICISM OF SAUDI ARABIA

Trudeau not backing down on Canada’s criticism of arrest of social activists

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia will continue but he’s not backing down on Canada’s criticism of the kingdom over the arrest of several social activists last week.

Trudeau said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland had a long conversation with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday and Canada is engaging directly with the Saudi government in a bid to restore diplomatic ties between the two countries. But an apology from Canada or a withdrawal of the human rights concerns Canada raised, is not on the table.

“As the minister has said and as we will repeat, Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights,’’ Trudeau said during an event Wednesday in Montreal.

The diplomatic dispute began last week after Freeland tweeted concerns about the arrests of social activists, including Samar Badawi, who has advocated for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. Her brother, blogger Raif Badawi, has been in prison since 2012 for criticizing the government, but his wife and children live in Quebec and became Canadian citizens earlier this year.

On Aug. 2, Freeland called for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi and, a day later, her department tweeted further criticism and called for the “immediate release’’ of Samar Badawi and all peaceful human rights activists.

CP PHOTO Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir leaves the stage after speaking during the opening session of the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing, Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister says there is nothing to mediate when it comes to the diplomatic dispute between his kingdom and Canada and is stepping up retaliation including selling Saudi-owned Canadian assets.