Sweden breaks up agreement with Saudi Arabia

[Dystopia]

Apparently Sweden had an arms deal with Saudi Arabia but it has ended after the latter blocked a human rights' speech from Sweden’s foreign minister, Margot Wallström.

More info here in The Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/ma...man-rights

Sweden’s foreign minister has reportedly accused Saudi Arabia of blocking her speech at an Arab League meeting to stop her highlighting human rights cases such as the imprisonment of a blogger for insulting Islam.

Speaking in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Monday, Margot Wallström told the TT news agency: “The explanation we have been given is that Sweden has highlighted the situation for democracy and human rights and that is why they do not want me to speak.

“It’s a shame that a country has blocked my participation.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/ma...ked-speech

weden has torn up a decade-long arms agreement with Saudi Arabia after the Saudis blocked the Swedish foreign minister from speaking about human rights to a summit of Arab leaders.

Peter Hultqvist, Sweden’s defence minister, confirmed on Tuesday that the deal was off, removing a cause of division within the country’s left-leaning coalition but deepening a rift with business leaders who implored the government to prolong the agreement.

On Monday, foreign minister Margot Wallström complained at a meeting of the Arab League in Cairo that Saudi Arabia had objected to her planned speech on democracy and women’s rights. She had also condemned the sentencing of Saudi blogger Raef Badawi to a “medieval” punishment of 1,000 lashes.

Overral I agree with this decision. If Saudis don't like Human Rights and specifically women's rights then they don't get the other half of the cake.

[robvalue]

Sounds good to me.

[Ben Davis]

Sounds good to me.

Ditto. Now if only the UK would follow suit...

[FatAndFaithless]

And the US. But we are the willing sub for their oil BDSM whip.