Saudi Arabia on Monday expelled Canadian Ambassador Dennis Horak and recalled its envoy from Ottawa after Canada said it was “gravely concerned about the additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia”. Riyadh also decided to freeze all new trade and investments with Ottawa, accusing it of interfering in its internal affairs.

“Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi,” Global Affairs Canada, the department that manages the country’s diplomatic and consular relations, tweeted on Friday. “We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists.”

Badawi has been agitating for the end of the system of male guardianship in Saudi Arabia, BBC reported.

In its response, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed Canada’s allegations were unfounded, the Saudi Press Agency reported. “The persons referred to were lawfully detained by the public prosecution for committing crimes punishable by applicable law,” the ministry said. “This also guaranteed the detainees’ rights and provided them with due process during the investigation and trial.”

Calling Canada’s statement an interference in its domestic affairs and a violation of its sovereignty, Saudi Arabia said it has asked Horak to leave within 24 hours, recalled its own envoy and put on hold all new trade ties. “Any further step from the Canadian side in that direction [of alleged interference in domestic affairs] will be considered as acknowledgement of our right to interfere in the Canadian domestic affairs,” the ministry warned.