Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 5 March (158193), what representations they intend to make to the government of Bahrain about securing the early release of Abdulhadi Mushaima from prison.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Abdulhadi Mushaima was released on 11 March 2021. He served 3 weeks of a 3 month prison sentence. He was released under alternative sentencing measures.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of the news release by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Human Rights Watch Bahrain: Police Beat, Threaten Children, published on 10 March; and what representations they intend to make to the government of Bahrain about the human rights concerns raised in that article.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have read the news release, along with the Bahraini Ombudsman's response to the Human Rights Watch report which provides important clarification and invites Human Rights Watch to provide further details of the cases in question. We believe the recent ratification of the Correctional Justice Act is a positive development for the protection of children in Bahrain, and will monitor its implementation.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision to bring forward the termination of the BBC World Service Sinhalese service; and whether they plan to make representations to prevent its termination.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The BBC announced in September 2020 their decision to close the Sinhala radio service, and we understand that plans for the closure are proceeding on the planned schedule. The BBC are maintaining their newsgathering presence in Sri Lanka and will focus on developing digital output. The BBC are operationally and editorially independent from Government, and the FCDO cannot dictate where changes to services may fall. The Sinhala service is also outside of the FCDO-funded World2020 programme.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the meeting that took place between Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Ministers and the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 September, whether they discussed (1) the cases of death row inmates and torture victims Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa, (2) political prisoners in Bahrain, (3) medical negligence in Bahraini prisons, (4) prison conditions in Bahrain, and (5) the UK’s technical assistance programme to Bahrain.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I raised the cases of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa during my recent meeting with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The Minister for the Middle East and I raised the use of the death penalty in Bahrain with the Foreign Minister, reiterating that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. The UK also provides technical assistance in support of Bahrain's ongoing reform agenda. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure compliance with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process
The Government of Bahrain has made clear that access to appropriate medical care for those in detention continues to be guaranteed, which means under normal circumstances that any prisoner wishing to see a doctor is taken to the prison clinic, with referral to specialist facilities where required; but that as part of Bahrain's COVID-19 precautions, all initial medical consultations now take place via video calls. Where necessary, physical appointments with external medical specialists continue to be available, although, in line with guidance issued by the World Health Organization, prisoners seeing external specialists are required to isolate for 10 days in a separate detention facility before returning to prison ensuring the safety of both patients and medical staff. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain, urge continued transparency and would encourage those with any concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the meeting that took place between Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Ministers and the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 September, what plans they have to increase cooperation with Bahrain.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Bahrain have a close and longstanding relationship. We benefit from a genuine and open dialogue in which we work together on a wide range of mutually beneficial issues while also raising points of significant difference with one another. The UK provides technical assistance in support of Bahrain's ongoing reform agenda. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure compliance with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the counter proliferation programme has been suspended until further notice.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO suspended in part its Counter Proliferation Programme for FY 20/21 as we reprioritised to tackle the Covid-19 response, and in view of HMG's Overseas Development Assistance prioritisation exercise.
Covid-19 has made it more difficult to carry out international programme work with many Counter Proliferation programmes being deferred to next year.
However, we have made exceptions for critical national security activity for the remainder of FY 20/21 - including support to the IAEA in relation to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran. The Foreign Secretary has since approved remaining programme allocations for this financial year. The Counter Proliferation Arms Control Centre in the new FCDO is now assessing how to deliver a programme to ensure that we meet critical counter proliferation objectives for the remainder of this FY.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to respond to the recommendations of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales report, Responsibility of States under International Law to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, China, published 22 July.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are aware of the Bar Human Rights Committee report published on 22 July and are carefully considering its findings. As the Foreign Secretary said during a Statement to the House on 20 July, we have particularly grave concerns about the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We have repeatedly urged China to live up to its international obligations and raised our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the UN Human Rights Council where we delivered a joint statement on behalf of 27 other countries on 30 June.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support independent, impartial and international mechanisms to investigate any violation by the government of China of its obligations and responsibilities under international law.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
As the Foreign Secretary said during a Statement to the House on 20 July, we have particularly grave concerns about the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We have repeatedly urged China to live up to its international obligations and raised our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the UN Human Rights Council where we delivered a joint statement on behalf of 27 other countries on 30 June. We have also repeatedly called for China to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights meaningful access to the region, including on 30 June at the UN Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa on 9 July (HC Deb, col 1119) and the decision of the Court of Cassation in Bahrain to uphold the death sentences of Mohammed Ramadhan and Hussain Moosa, what plans they have (1) to issue a public statement, and (2) to make representations the government of Bahrain, about the use of the death penalty in that country.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are deeply concerned that on 13 July Bahrain's Court of Cassation upheld the death penalty verdicts imposed on Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister responsible for Human Rights, reiterated our concern in a tweet of 14 July. We have raised both cases at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. Lord Ahmad also raised the cases with the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK on 14 July. The Government of Bahrain is fully aware that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the International Federation of Journalists’ draft UN International Convention on the safety and independence of journalists and other media professionals; and what plans they have to support its implementation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government believes that the principal problem concerning the safety and independence of journalists and other media professions relates to the inadequate implementation of existing relevant human rights frameworks and instruments, which if respected themselves provide sufficient protection. We are currently investigating how the Media Freedom Campaign can best add value and reinforce existing mechanisms, including those of the UN and other international organisations.