Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 debate on Addressing the specific challenges faced by the Belarussians in exile at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 20 June 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK stands in solidarity with the Belarusian people, who have shown immense courage in the face of relentless repression by the Lukashenko regime. We are clear that this regime neither speaks nor acts in the name of the overwhelming majority of Belarusians, and we continue to work with likeminded partners to put pressure on the regime publicly and privately for their human rights violations. We also take very seriously our responsibilities to Belarusian nationals in the UK, and the Security Minister's Defending Democracy Taskforce is driving forward work in response to threats of foreign interference, including transnational repression.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 debate on Transnational repression as a growing threat to the rule of law and human rights at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 23 June 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Foreign powers reaching across national borders to silence political dissent is unacceptable, and we are steadfastly committed to defending the rule of law and protecting individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK.
We will carefully consider the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Assembly. We continually assess potential threats to the UK and use a range of tools and measures to counter them, in co-ordination with partners. The Defending Democracy Taskforce is driving forward work to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign interference, and is reviewing the UK's approach to transnational repression.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 debate on Political consequences of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 22 June 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We support the Council of Europe's role in highlighting the devastating consequences of Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and welcome the work of its Parliamentary Assembly in this regard.
The UK is fully committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine, and to working with our international partners to maximise the effectiveness of our sanctions package targeting Putin and those who enable him to fight his war. We will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes to defend itself and secure a just and lasting peace.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 presentation made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia on the viability of the Council of Europe at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 20 June 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK welcomed remarks made by Latvia at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. We look forward to the application of Latvia's policies during its presidency in protecting and promoting democracy and rule of law across Europe. The Prime Minister and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon were pleased to attend the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik alongside nearly forty other European leaders. The UK agrees with European partners that the Council of Europe is playing a vital role in supporting Ukraine. Its work to establish the Register of Damage is an important step in securing financial accountability and supporting justice for the people of Ukraine. The Prime Minister signed the Register at the Summit, as a founding participant, and we will continue to work with the Council and our friends worldwide to ensure support for it.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 policy of 2022 Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre reports that Iranian-linked forces have aided attacks, deportations and the persecution of individuals in Syria.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long made clear our apprehension towards Iran's reckless and destabilising activity in Syria. Iran's support to militant and proscribed groups, including Hizbollah, directly counters UK interests. In Syria, Iran has propped up Bashar al-Asad, prolonging the crisis and enabling him and his brutal regime to commit innumerable human rights violations and abuses. The UK is committed to working with the international community to ensure Iran and the regime are held to account for their destabilising activity in Syria and we will continue to support efforts pursuing a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help strengthen the rights of indigenous (a) Kurdish, (b) Yazidi and (c) Jewish groups in the Middle East.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Building respect for human rights, including Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) and the rights of ethnic and religious groups, is a crucial element underpinning the UK's foreign policy in the Middle East. We regularly emphasise the importance of human rights through our engagements with Governments and other key partners.
We will continue to monitor the situation for ethnic and religious groups in the region, to speak out against human rights violations and abuses, and to press authorities to safeguard the human rights for all their citizens.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of China’s provision of face-recognition technology to Iran and its impact on human rights in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Women in Iran are reporting greater enforcement of Iran's strict hijab and morality laws by automated recognition technology. We continue to track reports of a Chinese company providing Iran with face-recognition technology, which could be used to violate human rights. The UK is committed to holding Iran to account and calling out Iran's human rights violations in a range of multilateral fora. The UK raised Iran at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution on Iran human rights, supported the creation of a UN Fact Finding Mission and helped ensure Iran's removal from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 debate on The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by San Marino, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28 April 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We greatly value the work of the UK delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and welcome this debate, following the monitoring committee's report. The UK thanks San Marino for the work they are doing to comply with all of their obligations. We will continue to engage with San Marino, to promote our shared values.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 debate on Deportations and forcible transfers of Ukrainian children and other civilians to Russian Federation or to Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied: create conditions for their safe return, stop these crimes and punish the perpetrators, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 27 April 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK condemns Russia's forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine. Those responsible for atrocities must be held to account and the UK is supporting the investigations of both the Ukrainian authorities and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The arrest warrants issued by the ICC are an important step towards accountability.
We respect the jurisdiction of competent national or international courts, such as the ICC, to determine if the crime of genocide has occurred in Ukraine. We will continue to call on Russia to cease forced transfers, allow unhindered, immediate and safe access for humanitarian organisations, and facilitate the safe return of children to Ukraine, in line with Russia's obligations under international law. The UK has contributed 150,000 euros to the Council of Europe's new Ukraine Action Plan.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 her policies of the debate on Youth and the Media, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28 April 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK thanks the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe for bringing this topic into focus. The UK is a strong protector of children online and through passage of our Online Safety Bill, we will become one of the safest places to be a child online. We are continually taking steps to empower users of all ages to make safer and well-informed choices online through resources such as the UK Government's Online Media Literacy programmes and our yearly action plans.