Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador in 'interference' row

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Saudi Arabia said on Monday it was expelling the Canadian ambassador and had recalled its envoy while freezing all new trade and investment.

The move comes after Canada demanded the immediate release of campaigners detained recently.

The kingdom gave the Canadian ambassador 24 hours to leave the country, in an abrupt rupture of relations over what it slammed as "interference" in its internal affairs.

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"The Canadian position is an overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the Saudi foreign ministry tweeted. "The kingdom announces that it is recalling its ambassador to Canada for consultation. We consider the Canadian ambassador to the kingdom persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours."

The ministry also announced "the freezing of all new trade and investment transactions with Canada while retaining its right to take further action."

Canada last week said it was "gravely concerned" over recent arrests of campaigners in the kingdom.

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The arrests came weeks after more than a dozen women's rights campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state. Some have since been released.

Canada's foreign ministry called for them to be "immediately released" in a tweet on Friday, provoking anger from the Saudi foreign ministry.

"Using the phrase 'immediately release' in the Canadian statement is very unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between States," the ministry tweeted.

(Cover: In this photo released by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks at a meeting of the Islamic Military Counterterrorism Alliance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 26, 2017. )

(With input from agencies)

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