Asked by: Baroness Mobarik (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of (1) torture, (2) mistreatment, and (3) disappearances, of LGBT individuals in Tanzania; and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The rights of LGBT+ individuals in Tanzania are coming under increasing pressure. The UK Government is clear that there needs to be an end to violence and discrimination against LGBT+ people in Tanzania and around the world. The British High Commission in Dar es Salaam is in regular contact with the LGBT+ community and human rights defenders to ensure we have a full understanding of the situation. Mindful that overt western interventions can exacerbate the situation, our responses are always informed by the LGBT+ community's perspective on what will best assure their safety.