He was reportedly executed on 7 August 2018 using a rare (but not unheard of) form of capital punishment: “Crucifixions in Saudi Arabia entail hanging a body in public after an execution, and are unusual.”

The news came as Saudi Arabia aggressively reacted to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland and Global Affairs Canada, who openly criticized the Middle Eastern kingdom for imprisoning two human rights activists, Samar and Raif Badawi:

Saudi Arabia in turn accused Canada of interfering in their internal affairs:

In the resulting dust-up, the Saudis expelled Canada’s ambassador and recalled their own from Canada. In less than a week, Saudi Arabia then expelled its Canadian ambassador , froze all new investment, cancelled all flights to Toronto, pulled thousands of students from Canadian institutions , barred its citizens from getting medical treatment in Canadian hospitals , and reportedly sold off all its Canadian assets . “We will, at the same time, continue to speak clearly and firmly on issues of human rights at home and abroad wherever we see the need.”

Mr Trudeau’s comments came hours after Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister described the row as a “matter of national security”, telling reporters that the kingdom was still considering additional measures against Canada. Infographic KSA, the group that shared the tweet, apologized for posting the image before their entire account was deleted. “And let’s be honest, the Trump administration, particularly Donald Trump, who has shown animosity to Justin Trudeau, is probably not too sad to see having this government be in the international limelight and be rebuked by the Saudis.”

Others have contexualised the kingdom’s actions as part of a bold new foreign policy unleashed by the country’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Meanwhile state-run media in Saudi Arabia said the country had executed and “crucified” a man from Myanmar convicted of killing a woman and carrying out other crimes. “We recognise that every country has the right to make their own decisions when it comes to diplomacy and international relations,” he said. But issuing critical tweets is not really the best way to deal with that.”

The US, for example, presses Saudi Arabia on human rights in an annual report and, presumably, in closed-door meetings between diplomats. In his first public comments since the spat began, Canada’s prime minister said his government has been speaking directly to the kingdom in an effort to resolve what he called “a diplomatic difference of opinion”.
Saudi Arabia reports the execution and crucifixion, in Mecca, of a man from Myanmar. The man was sentenced for breaking into the home of a woman and stabbing her, which led to her death, as well as for other crimes.