Of course, Canada must remain firm in its call for Saudi Arabia to respect human rights. Such a stand merits unequivocal applause and support. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated this week, standing up for human rights — at home and abroad — aligns with longstanding Canadian values.

As it happens, it is also the only politically viable position for the government. Consider the alternative. An apology to Saudi Arabia over human rights the year before federal elections? Not a chance.

The key driver of this bizarre story was Saudi Arabia’s extreme and disproportionate response to a routine expression of concern by Global Affairs Canada. A tweet by Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, prompted by the recent arrest of activists, including Samar Badawi (sister of imprisoned activist Raif Badawi), rightly called for the release of all civil society and women’s rights activists.

The “offending” tweet, however, was not particularly harsh. It was certainly no more forceful than numerous previous instances in which Canada has raised concerns about human rights abuses in the kingdom. Throughout the controversy surrounding Canada’s multi-billion-dollar deal to supply Saudi Arabia with weaponized armoured vehicles — which include “heavy assault,” “direct fire” support, and “anti-tank” configurations — Ottawa has been quick to reiterate that it takes every opportunity to raise human rights concerns with Riyadh.

Earlier this year, a GAC report into allegations of Saudi misuse of Canadian military exports similarly indicated that Canada “remains concerned” about, among other issues, “the high number of executions, repression against political opposition, arbitrary arrest, suppression of freedom of expression and discrimination against women.” However, the weight and credibility of Canada’s expressions of concern about human rights violations in Saudi Arabia have been steadily eroded as Ottawa continues to authorize arms exports to the known culprit.

There is a years-long, well-documented, consistent pattern of human rights violations both within Saudi borders and in neighbouring Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is the indisputable chief instigator of one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time.

Canada is well aware. But willful blindness has been the name of the game to preserve the lucrative arms deal. Two consecutive governments have persisted in the wrong-headed demand for evidence of previous abuses with Canadian-made military exports, when the key criterion for both domestic export controls and relevant international law is reasonable risk that such abuses might occur. Still, ample evidence has been produced to meet even this higher standard.