But that does not mean that Ms. Freeland, let alone Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, should go running to Riyadh to make amends – as former foreign minister John Baird, among others, has suggested."
Since last weekend, Saudi Arabia has done its best to punish Canada for having the temerity to criticize its awful human-rights practices.
The Islamic Kingdom has ordered home the many Saudi students studying in this country, which stands to cost teaching hospitals nearly 800 doctors-in-training and force universities to do without high foreign tuition fees. It has vowed to freeze all new trade and reportedly ordered its asset managers to unload Canadian stocks and bonds. It has cancelled flights to and from here, ordered Canada’s ambassador to leave and recalled its ambassador to Ottawa.
No doubt this is more than Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and her department bargained for when they tweeted calls for recently-jailed women’s rights activists – including one with strong ties to Canada – to be released.
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