By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    German ambassador to Cairo calls for more privatisation of public companies
    German ambassador to Cairo calls for more privatisation of public companies
    June 7, 2023
    $513m increase in Egypt’s foreign-exchange reserves to $26.686bn in May 2023
    $513m increase in Egypt’s foreign-exchange reserves to $26.686bn in May 2023
    June 7, 2023
    Qatar Investment Authority wants to fully acquire Telecom Egypt’s stake in Vodafone Egypt via subsidiary: Sources
    Qatar Investment Authority wants to fully acquire Telecom Egypt’s stake in Vodafone Egypt via subsidiary: Sources
    June 7, 2023
    7th annual Capital Markets Summit to be launched on 20 June
    7th annual Capital Markets Summit to be launched on 20 June
    June 7, 2023
    CBE receives 21 offers worth $644.1m to cover dollar-denominated T-bill issuance
    CBE receives 21 offers worth $644.1m to cover dollar-denominated T-bill issuance
    June 7, 2023
  • Politics
    PoliticsShow More
    Egypt’s Al-Sisi starts African tour to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique
    Egypt’s Al-Sisi starts African tour to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique
    June 7, 2023
    Egypt, Serbia hold round of consultations to discuss strengthening bilateral relations
    Egypt, Serbia hold round of consultations to discuss strengthening bilateral relations
    June 7, 2023
    All civilians in Sudan are in danger: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
    All civilians in Sudan are in danger: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
    June 7, 2023
    Arab League calls on Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities, oblige Israel to end occupation
    Arab League calls on Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities, oblige Israel to end occupation
    June 5, 2023
    Institute of Diplomatic Studies holds training course for diplomats from South Sudan
    Institute of Diplomatic Studies holds training course for diplomats from South Sudan
    June 5, 2023
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    EFG Finance to launch unified platform gathering all its financing services: Alaa Al-Afifi
    EFG Finance to launch unified platform gathering all its financing services: Alaa Al-Afifi
    May 31, 2023
    I changed my artistic path to create ‘state of wonder’: Tarek Lotfi
    I changed my artistic path to create ‘state of wonder’: Tarek Lotfi
    May 25, 2023
    I adore Ramadan drama, ‘Telt Al-Talata’ series achieved great success: Ghada Abdel Razek
    I adore Ramadan drama, ‘Telt Al-Talata’ series achieved great success: Ghada Abdel Razek
    May 8, 2023
    We aim to establish Egypt as nearshore centre for Software AG for MET region: Rami Kichli
    We aim to establish Egypt as nearshore centre for Software AG for MET region: Rami Kichli
    April 29, 2023
    Egypt-Spain relations witness remarkable development in recent years: Spanish ambassador in Cairo
    Egypt-Spain relations witness remarkable development in recent years: Spanish ambassador in Cairo
    April 18, 2023
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Reading: Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador for urging to release activists
Share
Notification
Latest News
Chimpanzees' communication development echoes human infants
Chimpanzees’ communication development echoes human infants
Science
Does multimorbidity impact chronic disease treatment?
Does multimorbidity impact chronic disease treatment?
Science
German ambassador to Cairo calls for more privatisation of public companies
German ambassador to Cairo calls for more privatisation of public companies
Business
$513m increase in Egypt’s foreign-exchange reserves to $26.686bn in May 2023
$513m increase in Egypt’s foreign-exchange reserves to $26.686bn in May 2023
Business
Egypt’s Al-Sisi starts African tour to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique
Egypt’s Al-Sisi starts African tour to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique
Egypt Politics
Aa
Aa
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.
Dailynewsegypt > Blog > In Focus > Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador for urging to release activists
In Focus

Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador for urging to release activists

Daily News Egypt
Last updated: 2018/08/07 at 2:24 AM
By Daily News Egypt 6 Min Read
Share
Saudi women queue outside the "convention hall" at Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University in the Saudi capital Riyadh on October 6, 2016, ahead of a performance by US dance group iLuminate. Saudi Arabia turned on its head Thursday night as what officials bill as a new era in entertainment begins for the conservative kingdom. Hundreds of men and women, side-by-side, hooted their appreciation and clapped to the beat as New York's iLuminate danced their way into Saudi hearts. / AFP PHOTO / FAYEZ NURELDINE
SHARE

The Saudi Arabian government decided on Sunday to give the Canadian ambassador in Riyadh 24 hours to leave the country and recalled its own envoy to Canada after the embassy urged Saudi officials to release arrested civil rights activists.

Saudi Arabia also suspended new trade and investment with Canada. “The Canadian position is an overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is in contravention of the most basic international norms and all the charters governing relations between states,” the Saudi foreign ministry said on Twitter.

Earlier, the Canadian foreign ministry and the Canadian embassy in Riyadh expressed concerns over the arrests of human rights activists, including award-winning gender rights activist Samar Badawi, in a new wave of detentions. They called on Saudi authorities to “immediately release” the detainees.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland

The Saudi foreign ministry voiced anger over the Canadian statement.

“Using the phrase (immediately release) in the Canadian statement is very unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states,” the Saudi ministry said on Twitter.

On 1 August, Saudi authorities arrested internationally recognised women’s rights activist Samar Badawi and Eastern Province activist Nassima Al-Sadah. They are the latest victims of an unprecedented government crackdown on the women’s rights movement that began on 15 May 2018 and has resulted in the arrest of more than a dozen activists.

Since May, a number of leading women’s rights activists and campaigners in Saudi Arabia, including Loujain Al-Hathloul, Iman Al-Nafjan, and Aziza Al-Yousef, have been detained for peaceful human rights work. Human rights groups say that many have been detained without charge and may face trial before the counter-terror court and up to 20 years in prison for their activism.

While Badawi, a recipient of the United States’ 2012 International Women of Courage Award, is best known for challenging Saudi Arabia’s discriminatory male guardianship system, Al-Sadah, from the coastal city of Qatif, has also long campaigned both for abolishing the guardianship system and lifting the driving ban.

“The arrests of Samar Badawi and Nassima Al-Sadah signal that the Saudi authorities see any peaceful dissent, whether past or present, as a threat to their autocratic rule,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

“After the recent arbitrary arrests of businesspeople, women’s rights activists, and reformist clerics, Saudi Arabia’s allies and partners should question what ‘reform’ really means in a country where the rule of law is disdainfully ignored,” she added.

Similarly, Amnesty International has urged the international community to speak up for detained human rights defenders. “The international community must push Saudi Arabian authorities to end this draconian crackdown and targeted repression of human rights defenders in the country”, said Samah Hadid, Amnesty International’s Middle East director of campaigns.

“Instead of pursuing human rights reform, the government of Saudi Arabia has chosen to lash out with punitive measures in the face of criticism. States with significant influence in Saudi Arabia—such as the USA, UK, and France—have now remained silent for far too long,” Hadid added.

“The world cannot continue to look the other way as this relentless persecution of human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia continues. It is now time for other governments to join Canada in increasing the pressure on Saudi Arabia to release all prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally, and end the crackdown on freedom of expression in the country.”

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir˜(

Saudi women’s rights activists have not only petitioned successive government authorities to reform discriminatory laws and policies, but also sought to change societal attitudes. While the government has recently introduced limited reforms, including allowing women to enter some professions previously closed to them, as well as lifting the driving ban, the male guardianship system—the main impediment to the realisation of women’s rights, according to activists—remains largely intact.

Under this system, women must obtain permission from a male guardian—a father, brother, husband, or even son—to travel abroad, obtain a passport, enrol in higher education, get a life-saving abortion, be released from a prison or shelter, or marry.

Saudi authorities accused several of those detained of serious crimes, including “suspicious contact with foreign parties” under thin legal pretences. Government-aligned media outlets have carried out an alarming campaign against them, branding them “traitors”.

The Saudi newspaper Okaz reported that nine of those detained will be referred for trial to the Specialised Criminal Court, originally established to try detainees held in connection with terrorism offences. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.

You Might Also Like

Egypt-Saudi Arabia trade exchange increases to $10.3bn in 2022: CAPMAS

Egypt sends commercial mission including 33 exporting companies to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia to host 2nd World Defence Show in early 2024

Shoukry heads to Riyadh for political consultation meeting with Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s United Cars and Motorcycles team visits Museum of Egyptian Civilization

TAGGED: activists, Canadian ambassador, saudi arabia
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
Previous Article Relative movement in car prices in early August
Next Article Are workers at risk of being completely replaced by machines?
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ad image
Ad image

Stay Connected

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Instagram Follow
Youtube Subscribe

Latest News

Chimpanzees' communication development echoes human infants
Chimpanzees’ communication development echoes human infants
Science
Does multimorbidity impact chronic disease treatment?
Does multimorbidity impact chronic disease treatment?
Science
German ambassador to Cairo calls for more privatisation of public companies
German ambassador to Cairo calls for more privatisation of public companies
Business
$513m increase in Egypt’s foreign-exchange reserves to $26.686bn in May 2023
$513m increase in Egypt’s foreign-exchange reserves to $26.686bn in May 2023
Business
//
Egypt’s only independent daily newspaper in English. Discuss the country’s latest with the paper’s reporters, editors, and other readers.

Quick Link

  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.

Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc..

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?