Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing sanctions on Nigeria if Nnamdi Kanu is not released.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Ministers and officials have raised Nnamdi Kanu's case with the Nigerian authorities on multiple occasions. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will take the steps we consider most effective regarding our consular assistance to Mr Kanu and will keep these under review, as has been done in the past. We do not speculate on future sanctions as doing so can limit their impact.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the imprisonment of Narges Mohammadi in Iran.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to closely monitor the case of Narges Mohammadi. We raise human rights issues at all appropriate opportunities bilaterally with Iran and in international fora, and we continue to work with the international community to press Iran to improve its dire human rights record. The UK government has announced ten rounds of human rights sanctions since 2022, most recently on 15 September 2023. Our sanctions target political, security and prison officials involved in the repression of protests, torture and inhuman treatment of prisoners, unfair trial processes and the use of the death penalty. At the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, the UK co-sponsored the Iran Human Rights Resolution which set out our serious concerns about Iran's continued human rights abuses. Following their meeting in Tokyo earlier this month, G7 foreign ministers issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the sentencing of (a) Niloufar Hamedi and (b) Elaheh Mohammadi in Iran.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country and we raise human rights issues with Iran at all appropriate opportunities. The sentencing of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi demonstrates the brutal reality of life in Iran for journalists. As a Media Freedom Coalition member, we continue to stress the protection of journalists as a key pillar of human rights infrastructure, and to call for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained journalists. We continue to hold the Iranian authorities to account for their treatment of women. In September, we imposed sanctions on decision-makers responsible for drafting and implementing Iran's mandatory hijab law.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 18 October 2023 to question 199965 on Nnamdi Kanu, what assessment he has made of the implications for his position on Mr Nnamdi Kanu of Opinion No. 25/2022 of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-third session, between 30 March and 8 April 2022, published on 17 August 2022.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The British Government takes the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's opinion in this case very seriously. Ministers and officials have raised Nnamdi Kanu's case with the Nigerian authorities on multiple occasions. The former Foreign Secretary last raised his case with the then Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama on 14 March 2023 and the British High Commissioner raised the case with the Nigerian Attorney General and National Security Advisor on 24 and 30 October 2023 respectively. FCDO officials continue to be in regular contact with representatives of Mr Kanu in the United Kingdom and in Nigeria. The Foreign Secretary continues to take the steps he considers most effective regarding our consular assistance to Mr Kanu and keeps these under review.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, entitled A/78/324: Thematic study on the global trade in weapons, equipment and devices used by law enforcement and other public authorities that are capable of inflicting torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, published by the United Nations Human Rights Office on 24 August 2023; and whether he has had discussions with his international counterparts in the UN on establishing a treaty to regulate the trade in such weapons, equipment and devices.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question 199965 on Nnamdi Kanu, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Opinion No. 25/2022 of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Lai's case with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 31 August. The Minister for the Indo-Pacific also raised Mr Lai's case with Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, on 18 April. Senior officials have and will continue to raise cases such as Mr Lai's with the Hong Kong authorities. We continue to press for consular access to Mr Lai and diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong attend Mr Lai's court proceedings. In September, the UK led a side event at the UN Human Rights Council on media freedom in Hong Kong, supported by 24 other countries.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to secure the release of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Lai's case with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 31 August. The Minister for the Indo-Pacific also raised Mr Lai's case with Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, on 18 April. Senior officials have and will continue to raise cases such as Mr Lai's with the Hong Kong authorities. We continue to press for consular access to Mr Lai and diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong attend Mr Lai's court proceedings. In September, the UK led a side event at the UN Human Rights Council on media freedom in Hong Kong, supported by 24 other countries.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterparts in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on the escalation of violence in the West Bank.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 19 October, the Foreign Secretary travelled to the region where he met leaders in Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to help prevent the conflict spreading across the region and to seek a peaceful resolution. He pushed for agreement on humanitarian access to Gaza, the release of British hostages and foreign nationals and securing safe passage for British Nationals to leave Gaza. The Foreign Secretary also discussed the urgent need for the Rafah crossing to open so that lifesaving aid can reach those who need it and for Hamas to release the hostages. Since the Hamas attacks on 7 October, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have spoken to counterparts from almost 20 countries as part of extensive diplomatic efforts to sustain the prospect of peace and stability in the Middle East.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help secure the export of grain from Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK strongly condemns Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure. Ukrainian grain exports are crucial for global food security. We are working closely with Ukraine and other partners to ensure Ukraine is able to continue to export grain by the most optimal routes. These include overland European routes, Danube ports and Ukraine's maritime corridor from its Black Sea ports, which increasing flows of commercial shipping are now using. As this corridor is the most efficient and economical route, recent discussions with Ukraine and other partners have focussed on ensuring its commercial viability and security against Russian attacks.