OTTAWA -- The U.S. State Department says it is "aware" of Saudi Arabia's decision to expel Canada's ambassador and considers both countries to be "close partners" of the United States.
In a statement distributed today on Twitter, a spokesperson says the U.S. continues to support respect for freedoms and liberties "including dissent and due process."
Saudi Arabia declared a freeze on new trade with Canada and recalled thousands of students attending Canadian universities following a tweet last week from Global Affairs Canada that expressed concerns about the arrest of activists in the kingdom.
Amnesty International says Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi, was recently detained along with Nassima al-Sada, another prominent female activist.
The State Department says the U.S. has asked Saudi Arabia for more information about the detentions, and to publicize details about the status of legal cases.
It also says the U.S. will encourage Saudi Arabia to ensure due process and provide information on "the charges and case status of legal actions against activists."
On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said there was "nothing new or novel" about Canada's long-standing position on human rights around the world, and that Ottawa will await more details from the kingdom before responding further.
"We are always going to speak up for human rights, we are always going to speak up for women's rights and that is not going to change," she said, adding that Canadians "expect" their government's foreign policy to be driven by Canadian values.
