Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has affirmed that the Kingdom’s judiciary is independent of the executive and that its judicial system is based on the Qur’an and Sunnah.

The King met with Saudi Arabia’s Justice Minister Waleed Al-Samani and a number of other senior judicial officials at the Yamama Palace in Riyadh on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques emphasized the importance of the judiciary and its status, adding that the judicial system in the Kingdom derives its authority from the provisions of Islamic Shari’a, according to the texts of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah (practices of the Prophet Muhammad). He said that this is explicitly stated in the Basic Law of Governance, which is the country’s charter.

“The Saudi state continues this approach, and reiterates its commitment to the swift resolution of disputes and lawsuits,” the Saudi King said.

King Salman stressed that Riyadh is committed to ensuring the independence of the judiciary, and ensuring the implementation of legal provisions on everyone without exception.

Saudi Crown Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif also attended the meeting.

The Kingdom’s judiciary has been under scrutiny since a diplomatic row erupted between Saudi Arabia and Sweden earlier this month following remarks made by Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom. The foreign minister claimed Saudi Arabia’s judicial system was not independent of the country’s executive in comments criticizing the verdict issued against Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, an allegation Riyadh strongly denies.

Wallstrom’s comments led to Saudi Arabia recalling its ambassador from Stockholm, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.