OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that Canada will continue to speak out “clearly and firmly” on human rights around the globe, refusing to back down in an escalating dispute with Saudi Arabia sparked by Ottawa’s criticism over the detention of activists in that country.In his first comments since the crisis with Saudi Arabia blew up over the weekend, Trudeau was unbowed by the sharp reaction from the kingdom’s leaders who seem determined to make Canada pay an economic price for raising human rights concerns.“Canadians have always expected our government to speak strongly, firmly, clearly and politely about the need to respect human rights at home and around the world. We will continue to do that, we will continue to stand up for Canadian values and indeed for universal values and human rights at any occasion,” Trudeau said during a Wednesday visit to Montreal.Trudeau was unwilling to serve up the apology apparently sought by Saudi Arabia, which has called on Canada to “fix its big mistake.” Instead, he vowed that the federal government would continue to voice concerns publicly and privately about human rights abuses.Read more: Editorial | Canada needs to stand fast on Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia orders its foreign students out of Canadian schoolsThe loss of hundreds of Saudi medical residents will ‘put a lot of strain’ on Canadian patients, experts sayThe prime minister said “it’s no secret” that Canada raises such topics in its discussions with other leaders as part of what he called “constructive engagement,” the very approach he said the government has taken with Saudi Arabia. “We will also remain firm on standing up for human rights,” Trudeau said.He also defended the fact that Canada’s concerns related to Saudi Arabia were delivered via social media, saying that the federal government has to use as “many tools as we can to get our me ...
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