Friday, September 18, 2015

Canada not tracking Saudi rights record despite $15-billion arms deal

"Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs has not done a human rights assessment of Saudi Arabia in the past two years even though Ottawa is brokering a $15-billion arms deal to sell fighting vehicles to Riyadh, a regime with an abysmal record for treatment of women, dissenters and offenders." "Under Canadian law, the government should do an official assessment of whether the transactions will further endanger human rights in Saudi Arabia." "The Islamic kingdom, which has beheaded at least 85 people so far this year, is advertising for new executioners to carry out an increasing number of death sentences, Reuters reported."