Baroness Kennedy of Shaws

This Government stands firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghur Muslims. We continue to refer to the OHCHR's 2022 Xinjiang Assessment, which is based on independent evidence and China's own records. We raise our concerns on human rights at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October 2024.

For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely.

The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.

Individuals detained overseas are encouraged to seek local legal advice and raise any due process concerns with their local lawyer who is best placed to raise these with the courts. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides families with a list of local lawyers to support them with this process. Our consular staff will aim to stay in regular contact with British nationals detained overseas and where British nationals feel they are not treated in line with international standards, with their consent, the FCDO can raise concerns with the appropriate authorities.

Consular officials do not routinely attend court hearings involving British nationals. Any exceptions to this are made on a case-by-case basis and will depend on several factors including the circumstances of the case and the local context.

For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely.

The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.

Individuals detained overseas are encouraged to seek local legal advice and raise any due process concerns with their local lawyer who is best placed to raise these with the courts. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides families with a list of local lawyers to support them with this process. Our consular staff will aim to stay in regular contact with British nationals detained overseas and where British nationals feel they are not treated in line with international standards, with their consent, the FCDO can raise concerns with the appropriate authorities.

Consular officials do not routinely attend court hearings involving British nationals. Any exceptions to this are made on a case-by-case basis and will depend on several factors including the circumstances of the case and the local context.

For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely.

The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.

Individuals detained overseas are encouraged to seek local legal advice and raise any due process concerns with their local lawyer who is best placed to raise these with the courts. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides families with a list of local lawyers to support them with this process. Our consular staff will aim to stay in regular contact with British nationals detained overseas and where British nationals feel they are not treated in line with international standards, with their consent, the FCDO can raise concerns with the appropriate authorities.

Consular officials do not routinely attend court hearings involving British nationals. Any exceptions to this are made on a case-by-case basis and will depend on several factors including the circumstances of the case and the local context.

We are aware that the Government of Pakistan has announced its intention to recommence deportations in April 2025. We are closely monitoring the Government of Pakistan's policy and are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to ensure Pakistan adheres to its international human rights obligations. We continue to raise concerns with the Government of Pakistan regarding the humanitarian implications of the deportation of Afghan refugees. The visa process and issuance of documentation to Afghan refugees is a matter for Pakistani authorities, who ultimately reserve the right to decide the eligibility criteria for applicants.