© John D McHugh/AFPCanadian Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV)
Ottawa will keep its $15bn arms deal with Riyadh despite concerns over Saudi involvement in the disappearance of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the diplomatic row over human rights, Prime Minister Trudeau said.
"We respected that contract," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
told reporters on Friday, adding that his cabinet has put forward measures to make the arms sales more transparent. "We are making sure Canadians' expectations and laws are always being followed," he said.
The contract was signed in 2014 by the previous conservative government, and has since been upheld by Trudeau. The specifics of the sales were originally not disclosed by the parties.
According to documents
obtained by CBC News last month, a Canadian company is to ship
742 LAV-6 light armored vehicles to Riyadh. The same outlet
revealed in March that
hundreds of the LAV-6s will be outfitted as "heavy assault" and "anti-tank" types.
Trudeau was forced to defend the deal amidst public outcry over the disappearance of prominent Saudi Arabia critic Jamal Khashoggi. He mysteriously vanished more than a week ago, and was last seen entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Turkish officials
claim they have evidence that the journalist was secretly
murdered by Saudi agents. Riyadh
dismissed the allegations as "lies."
As concerns over Khashoggi
grow,
a number of foreign businesses have protested by cutting ties with the Saudis. Several companies and media giants, such as CNN and CNBC, have decided to boycott an upcoming high-profile investment event in the kingdom.At Friday's briefing, the Canadian leader said the government has "serious concerns" over reports on the journalist's possible demise, but refused to comment further. He stated that the government will remain "clear and strong" in standing up for human rights around the globe.
Human rights campaigners and journalists have
criticized Canada's approach to Saudi Arabia as inconsistent. They
point out that the government doesn't mince words when
attacking the kingdom's human rights record, but at the same time never
waivers in its willingness to ship military hardware to Riyadh.
Media reports have also strongly suggested that the Saudis might be using Canadian-made LAVs against civilians in Yemen.Canada stuck to the arms deal even after becoming embroiled in a diplomatic spat with Riyadh in August.
Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called on the kingdom to release two high-profile dissidents. In response, Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian envoy. It then froze trade talks, cut academic ties, and suspended flights to Canada.
Saudi Arabia remains the second-largest weapons importer in the world, and Western nations like Canada and the US are among its chief partners in the arms trade.
Washington signed a $110-billion arms deal with the kingdom last year. President Donald Trump said the US will not cancel the agreement even if it is proven that the Saudis are complicit in Khashoggi's murder. He did, however,
promise other forms of "severe punishment."
Comment: The fate of one individual, as well as the fates of hundreds of thousands, pale in the shadow of arms sales - albeit prior deals to capitalize on the means for murder and destruction.