Senator Miville-Dechêne: Thank you for that information. Now that diplomatic relations have been restored, Canada will soon have an ambassador in Riyadh. This seems, at the very least, like an opportunity to intervene directly with the Saudis, in person, on Mr. Badawi’s behalf.

Raif Badawi was imprisoned for his political views. When will the government issue a temporary passport or grant him safe passage so that he can finally be reunited with his wife and children, who have been forced to live without him in Quebec for over a decade?

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Senator Gold, two years ago, the Senate adopted a motion calling on the government to grant Canadian citizenship to Saudi political prisoner Raif Badawi, but nothing has been done to follow up on that motion.

For the past five years, diplomatic relations between Canada and Saudi Arabia have been suspended because of something Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted about Mr. Badawi. However, it has now been announced that normal diplomatic relations will resume.

Senator Gold, now that diplomatic relations have been restored with Saudi Arabia, does the Government of Canada intend to grant Raif Badawi Canadian citizenship or is the price of this return to normal our silence with regard to the Saudi regime’s human rights violations?