Russia says Saudi Arabia critics shouldn’t claim superiority

MOSCOW – As tensions simmer between Saudi Arabia and Canada over arrests of women’s rights activists, Russia’s Foreign Ministry says critics of Saudi Arabia should not claim a stance of moral superiority.

Saudi Arabia on Monday expelled the Canadian ambassador and froze “all new business” with Ottawa. The dispute appears centred around tweets by Canadian diplomats calling on the kingdom to immediately release detained women’s rights activists.

“We believe that Saudi Arabia, having embarked on a path of large-scale social and economic reforms, fully has the sovereign right to decide how to move forward in this important area,” Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement Wednesday. “In such matters, constructive advice and assistance are perhaps needed, but not from the position of ‘moral superiority’.”