Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what processes her Department has in place to ensure that freedom of religion or belief abuses are being monitored and taken into account as decisions are being made to sanction people responsible for human rights abuses.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.
The Global Human Rights (GHR) sanctions regime gives the UK a powerful tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses around the world. All designation decisions must be taken in accordance with the designation criteria set out in the regulations. We have also published a policy note setting out factors that are likely to be relevant to whether a person may be designated under the GHR sanctions regime. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. We will consider targets, guided by the objectives of the sanctions regime and the evidence.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Cuban counterparts on the detention of Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo.
Answered by Wendy Morton
We are clear that all Cubans should have the right to protest peacefully, and that detention must not be used as a tool to restrict freedom of expression, assembly, and religion. The UK was one of the first countries to call for the Cuban people to be allowed to express their views freely and peacefully following the Cuban Government's response to demonstrations on 11 July.
We are concerned to hear reports that Pastor Rosales Fajardo has been maltreated while detained, and that the authorities may seek a 10-year prison sentence. We have raised our concerns over ongoing detentions directly with the Cuban Government, both in London and Havana.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how parliamentarians can make referrals to the UK sanctions scheme.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Parliamentarians can engage with the Government via the usual means on information concerning possible designations, including by writing to the Foreign Secretary, or by contacting sanctions@fcdo.gov.uk. All designations will need to meet the legal tests as set out in the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, which includes ensuring designations are underpinned by robust evidence.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how civil society groups can make referrals to the UK sanctions scheme.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
If any person or organisation, including civil society groups, wishes to submit information to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office concerning possible designations under a sanctions regime they may do so to sanctions@fcdo.gov.uk. The Government has published two Information Notes aimed at helping support Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and civil society engage with Government on Global Human Rights and Global Anti-Corruption sanctions.