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.”

An Arab diplomat confirmed to Agence France-Presse that Riyadh had stopped her making the speech.

Wallström had been invited as an honorary guest to the Arab ministers’ meeting in praise of her government’s decision to recognise Palestine in October.

She has rarely mentioned Saudi Arabia publicly but in January criticised its treatment of blogger Raif Badawi, who had been sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail.

“One must protest against what are nearly medieval methods” of punishment, the minister told TT.

Sweden has a decade-long arms deal with Riyadh which is due for renewal in May.

The deal has come under fire within Wallström’s Social Democrats, and is categorically opposed by coalition partners the Green party.

Addressing the UN human rights council in Geneva last week, Wallström said her “feminist foreign policy” aims to “strengthen gender equality, improve women’s access to resources and increase women’s representation”.