Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of ratifying the Ljubljana-Hague convention; and what steps they are taking to ensure that they can cooperate with other states on mutual legal assistance in relation to investigating and prosecuting international crimes.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is firmly committed to the rule of law and ending impunity for the most serious international crimes. It is of fundamental importance that issues of domestic and international accountability continue to be discussed seriously and collaboratively by the international community.
The UK already has well-established legal frameworks to facilitate international co-operation on the investigation and prosecution of international crimes and we are committed to continuing to work with international partners to this end. The UK was an active participant at the Ljubljana-Hague Convention negotiations in 2023, where we made it clear that we needed further time to review the Convention text, including to consider how ratification might impact on the UK's cooperation in this area. To date, only one country has ratified the Convention.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in addition to humanitarian assistance, to prevent atrocities in Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Further to my statement on Sudan on 19 November, and my remarks in the House of Lords debate on 27 November, the Government took direct action on 12 December to sanction senior commanders of the Rapid Support Forces suspected of involvement in the atrocities committed in El Fasher, Sudan, including mass killings, systematic sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilians. This sends a clear message that those who commit and orchestrate these crimes will be held to account, and reflects our determination to prevent and deter further atrocities.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address gender apartheid and gender persecution in Afghanistan; what steps they are taking to support Afghan women and girls in the country; and what assessment they have made of how this assistance is affected by any cuts to UK overseas development assistance.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 21 October in response to Question 81211, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The Government condemns the Taliban's appalling repression of Afghan women and girls. Officials regularly engage with the Taliban on UK Government priorities, including human rights. The Government is working with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions.
The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries as a matter of principle, and in all circumstances, including through UN and Human Rights Council resolutions.
In October, the UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls and the UK Special Envoy to Afghanistan met Afghan women leaders. Upholding the human rights of all Afghans is not only a moral imperative, but essential for building a stable, inclusive, and prosperous country.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken since July 2024 to pursue justice and accountability for Uyghurs, and what further action they will take within the next year.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure Ahmed al-Doush receives a fair trial in Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Ahmed al-Doush is released by the government of Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will attend the trial of Ahmed al-Doush on 4 May in Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Pakistan regarding reports that from 31 March it intends to return to Afghanistan all undocumented refugees, including women judges whose US visas have been revoked.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to impose targeted sanctions against the individuals responsible for the arbitrary detention of British citizen Ryan Cornelius in the United Arab Emirates.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Sanctions can be used to achieve a range of foreign and security policy objectives. We use sanctions when they complement other tools as part of a wider strategy. We consider designations under our sanctions regimes, including the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations, guided by the evidence and the objectives of the sanctions regime. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make a new appeal for clemency for Ryan Cornelius by the end of Ramadan, in accordance with United Arab Emirate law; and whether they plan to make a public statement in support of this plea for clemency.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Minister for the Middle East submitted a supporting letter alongside Mr Cornelius' clemency application to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, on 30 January ahead of the next round of pardons. The Government's support of Mr Cornelius' clemency application is already public.