Alwaght-Saudi has
blocked the speech of the Swedish foreign minister at an Arab League meeting
due to the criticism she has leveled at Riyadh over its human rights violations,
as Press TV recorded.
Margot
Wallstroem told Swedish media on Monday that the cancellation was explained to
be the result of Sweden highlighting “the situation for democracy and human
rights” in the region.
“It's a shame that a country has blocked my participation,” she
added.
The Arab League
invited the minister as an honorary guest to the meeting in the Egyptian
capital, Cairo, to appreciate Sweden’s decision to recognize the Palestine
state in October 2014.
In her opening
speech, which was published by the Swedish Foreign Ministry, Wallstroem
defended freedom of association, assembly, religion, and expression as
“fundamental rights and important tools in the creation of vibrant societies.”
The speech also
noted, “women's rights do not only benefit women, but society as a whole.”
Back in
January, Wallstroem decried the Saudi regime’s treatment of 31-year-old
activist Raif Badawi sentenced to 1,000 lashes of the whip and 10 years in jail
for insulting Wahhabism, which is an extremely intolerant interpretation of
Islam practiced in the oil-rich kingdom.
Prosecution for
Badawi began in 2008 after he co-founded the “Free Saudi Liberals” website, on
which he criticized the influential Saudi clerics who preach Wahhabism.
Criticism of
Wahhabi clerics is viewed as a red line as they are instrumental in supporting
Riyadh’s policies.
International
human rights organizations have lashed out at Saudi for failing to address the
rights situation in the kingdom. They
say Saudi has persistently implemented repressive policies that stifle freedom
of expression, association, and assembly.
Sweden has a
decade-long deal with Saudi Arabia under which Stockholm provides Riyadh with
military material and training. The
agreement is not sure to be renewed for another five years in May as it has
been criticized in Sweden.
