Saudi ambassador Ahmed Abdul Aziz Qattan said that his country doesn't accept comments on its judicial rulings, insisting the Saudi judiciary is "free and fair."

Qattan's comments were in response to criticism in Egypt regarding the imprisonment of two Egyptian citizens, one of whom, Naglaa Wafa, has served at least 300 of the 500 lashes meted out as part of her sentence.

Answering questions regarding Wafa during a visit to the headquarters of the Egyptian cabinet Egypt's Council of Ministers', Qattan said no one was or will ever be subjected to injustice under Saudi Arabia's current judicial system.

Wafa is punished with five years in prison as well as 500 lashes for allegedly socialising with a foreign man with no male chaperone – a crime in Saudi Arabia– as well as embezzling two million Saudi Riyals from a Saudi princess. The ruling is believed to be a result of a business dispute with the princess.

Wafa's arrest in 2009 and subsequent lashing has been largely condemned by Egyptian MPs, rights groups and political parties and movements. Qattan however said that the kingdom's judiciary issued those sentences just as Egypthas issued rulings against Saudi citizens which no Saudi authority commented on. The office of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has announced it is looking into Wafa's case.

Qattan also commented on the case of Ahmed El-Gizawi, an Egyptian lawyer under arrest in Saudi Arabia for allegedly smuggling drugs into the country, saying that he is still a suspect and is innocent until proven guilty – the principle, he said, that Saudi Arabia abides by, just like Egypt. El-Gizawi's arrest was publicly opposed in Egyptwhere it has been widely regarded as a framing punishing El-Gizawi for taking legal action against Saudi Arabiafor imprisoning Egyptians.

Protests against his detainment led to Saudi Arabia recalling its ambassador from Cairo in April only to send him back shortly afterwards. Nevertheless the incident strained otherwise friendly relations between the two countries.