Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Tunisia regarding the sentencing of Rached Ghannouchi, former Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament, to 20 years' imprisonment; and what steps they are taking to press for his release in light of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s finding (Opinion No. 63/2025) that his detention is arbitrary.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK monitors the political context in Tunisia closely, including changes to the sentences of Mr Rached Ghannouchi and others. The UK regularly encourages respect for civil, political, social and economic rights and the rule of law in Tunisia. Our Ambassador to Tunisia has raised the case of Mr Ghannouchi with the Tunisian authorities, and Ministers have underlined the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government. To date, the UK has used a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open and inclusive society in Tunisia.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the continued detention and sentencing of political figures in Tunisia, including Rached Ghannouchi, is consistent with the UK Government’s stated commitment to democracy and human rights in its engagement with Tunisia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK monitors the political context in Tunisia closely, including changes to the sentences of Mr Rached Ghannouchi and others. The UK regularly encourages respect for civil, political, social and economic rights and the rule of law in Tunisia. Our Ambassador to Tunisia has raised the case of Mr Ghannouchi with the Tunisian authorities, and Ministers have underlined the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government. To date, the UK has used a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open and inclusive society in Tunisia.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what conversations they have had with the government of Pakistan to ensure that Imran Khan is allowed access to his own doctors.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Pakistan's judicial processes are a domestic matter; however, we expect the Pakistani authorities to respect fundamental freedoms, including due process, humane detention, and access to appropriate medical treatment for all detainees, including Mr Imran Khan.
UK ministers and officials - including our High Commissioner in Islamabad - regularly raise these principles with the Government of Pakistan and continue to monitor developments. We do not advocate for specific medical arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of their statements denouncing the lack of democratic legitimacy of the Venezuelan election of 28 July 2024, whether they plan to evict the representatives of the government of Venezuela from the legation building at 1 Cromwell Road, and to make the premises available to representatives of those they consider won the election.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has been clear that the outcome of the presidential elections on 28 July 2024 was neither free nor fair and that Nicolas Maduro's claim to power is fraudulent. The results published by the opposition appear to show Edmundo Gonzalez secured the most votes by a significant margin. Whilst the UK does not accept the legitimacy of the current administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro, we maintain limited engagement with Venezuelan officials where necessary.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Venezuela about the whereabouts of Jesús Armas and reports that he is being held in El Helicoide.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK strongly condemns the ongoing repression against civil society and members of the opposition in Venezuela. Over 1900 Venezuelans remain arbitrarily detained, including Jesus Armas whose whereabouts remain unknown. The UK has repeatedly called for human rights to be protected and for the immediate and unconditional release of those arbitrarily detained, most recently through a UK statement at the Human Rights Council on 13 December. The UK was also party to the G7 Foreign Ministers' statements of 24 September and 26 November, calling on Venezuelan representatives to publish the election results in full and calling for all unjustly detained political prisoners to be released.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the continuing detention of Imran Khan; and what assessment they have made of reports that he has been denied phone calls and visits.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Foreign Secretary met with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on 4 September and 24 October to discuss a range of key issues, including Pakistan's domestic political situation. We have consistently urged the Pakistani authorities to demonstrate their democratic credentials by acting in line with their international obligations and with respect for the fundamental freedoms of all its citizens, including the right to a fair trial, due process and humane detention.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the International Commission of Jurists that the passing of the 26th Constitutional Amendment by the government of Pakistan is a “blow to judicial independence, the rule of law, and human rights protection”; and what representations they have made to that government in that regard.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Any amendment to Pakistan's constitution is a matter for Pakistan. An independent judiciary able to check and balance other state organs is a critical element of a functioning democracy.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to begin directly importing Turkish Cypriot products, including fresh produce, to the UK from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" as an independent state. Several UN Security Council Resolutions and other multilateral agreements also limit links between UK and the north. The UK has no intention to begin directly importing products. We continue to believe that a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus is the best means of resolving the difficulties caused by the division of the island.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan to ensure the safety of (1) domestic, and (2) foreign, journalists in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is a champion of media freedom and a proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. The British High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises media freedom and the protection of journalists with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. On 23 January the UK Political Counsellor raised these issues with Muhammad Saleem Baig, Chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. On 17 November 2022 the British High Commissioner discussed the issue of media freedom with Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that members of Pakistan’s main opposition, Pakistan Tehreek Insaf, have been detained without legal representation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
As the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have said, the UK has a close and longstanding relationship with Pakistan. We are aware of recent reports of arrests in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation closely. I spoke to the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan on 9 May and to Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on 10 and 13 May, emphasising the importance of peaceful democratic processes and adherence to the rule of law.