The Saudi foreign ministry called the use of “immediately release” in Canada’s tweet “unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states.”

It dismissed Canada’s characterization of the activists as “an incorrect claim” and said Canada’s attitude was “surprising.”

“Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada, means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs,” it said. "We consider the Canadian ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said on Twitter. It also gave the Canadian ambassador 24 hours to leave the country and recalled its own ambassador to Canada, the statement by the Saudi foreign ministry said, adding it "will freeze all new trade and investment transactions with Canada whilst retaining its rights to take further action." —@KSAmofaEN This is quoted by the Saudi statement...which says the people involved were arrested on charges of “committing crimes that should be stopped” and that their rights were “assured” in the process <a href="https://t.co/cgVp6QTiZD">https://t.co/cgVp6QTiZD</a> —@NahlahAyed

The ministry added that Saudi Arabia is recalling its ambassador to Canada. Last Tuesday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said at least 15 human rights defenders and women’s rights activists critical of the Saudi government had been arrested or detained arbitrarily since 15 May. Last week, Canada said it was "gravely concerned" over the new wave of arrests of rights campaigners, including award-winning gender rights activist Samar Badawi, and called on Riyadh to "immediately release them." “Canada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, very much including women’s rights, and freedom of expression around the world,” she said, adding “Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy.”

Saudi Arabia said it was also freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada and “reserves its right to take further action.”

It said it will not accept any form of interference in its internal affairs and considers the Canadian position “an attack” requiring a firm stance to deter “attempts to undermine the sovereignty” of Saudi Arabia. She is the sister of the imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi, whose wife Ensaf Haidar lives in Canada and recently became a Canadian citizen.
Saudi Arabia withdraws its Ambassador from Canada, and orders the Canadian counterpart to leave the country in 24 hours, after Canada calls for the release of activists who are in detention in the Middle East nation.