Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2023 to Question HL7520 on Cyprus: Politics and Government, whether he has had discussions with the leaders of communities in Cyprus on establishing a sustainable, bi-zonal and bi-communal federal political settlement in the period since the recent elections in Greece and Turkey.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government remains committed to supporting UN efforts to reach a Cyprus Settlement within the UN parameters based on the model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality. We engage with all parties on this. I [Minister Docherty] discussed Settlement with President Christodoulides, Foreign Minister (FM) Kombos and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar on 10 May. The Foreign Secretary also met FM Kombos on 16 June and discussed Settlement with him. The UK Government believes that, with flexibility, sufficient common ground to start formal negotiations can potentially be found. In the meantime, the UK continues to support confidence-building initiatives to build links between the communities to prepare for any future Settlement.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2023 to Question HL7520 on Cyprus: Politics and Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the recent elections in Greece and Turkey on the prospects for a peaceful and equitable resolution of tensions on Cyprus.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government remains committed to supporting UN efforts to reach a Cyprus Settlement within the UN parameters based on the model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality. We engage with all parties on this. I [Minister Docherty] discussed Settlement with President Christodoulides, Foreign Minister (FM) Kombos and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar on 10 May. The Foreign Secretary also met FM Kombos on 16 June and discussed Settlement with him. The UK Government believes that, with flexibility, sufficient common ground to start formal negotiations can potentially be found. In the meantime, the UK continues to support confidence-building initiatives to build links between the communities to prepare for any future Settlement.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2023 to Question HL7520 on Cyprus: Politics and Government, whether his Department is taking steps to broker confidence-building measures on trade and travel between Greek and Turkish Cypriots following recent elections in Greece and Turkey.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government remains committed to supporting UN efforts to reach a Cyprus Settlement within the UN parameters based on the model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality. We engage with all parties on this. I [Minister Docherty] discussed Settlement with President Christodoulides, Foreign Minister (FM) Kombos and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar on 10 May. The Foreign Secretary also met FM Kombos on 16 June and discussed Settlement with him. The UK Government believes that, with flexibility, sufficient common ground to start formal negotiations can potentially be found. In the meantime, the UK continues to support confidence-building initiatives to build links between the communities to prepare for any future Settlement.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 potential impact of human rights concerns in Bahrain on diplomatic relations between the UK and Bahrain.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Bahrain is an important partner to the UK and we have a close and long-standing relationship. We benefit from a genuine and open dialogue in which we work together on a range of issues of mutual benefit, including defence, security, trade and investment, and human rights. The FCDO remains committed to supporting Bahrain's human rights reforms, including through projects delivered via the Gulf Strategy Fund. The FCDO's most recent assessment of the human rights situation in Bahrain is in the annual 2021 FCDO Human Rights and Democracy Report, published in December 2022.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his department is taking within the UK Embassy in Tehran to (a) assist and (b) protect (i) female, (ii) female Christian and (iii) other protestors in Iran.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since September 2022, ordinary Iranians have risked their lives to protest against the Iranian regime's appalling violence and repression. These protests were initiated by women and girls, but rapidly grew to reflect all facets of Iranian society experiencing oppression at the hands of the authorities. Christians and other religious minorities have long faced systematic discrimination, harassment and unfair detention in Iran.
The UK supports women, minority groups and others standing up for their fundamental rights in Iran by ensuring the Iranian regime is held to account. We do this in part through our sanctions designations: HMG has announced six rounds of Iran human rights sanctions since October 2022. We also work with our partners in multilateral fora, for example by removing Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of women. We raise human rights directly with the Iranian authorities at all appropriate opportunities, including through our Ambassador in Tehran to ensure the regime is in no doubt about the political price it is paying for its actions.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2022 to Question 102994 on Bahrain: Political Prisoners, what progress has been made on the human rights of (a) Hassan Mushaima, (b) Abduljalil al-Singace, (c) Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, (d) Abdulwahab Husain, (e) Sheikh Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad, (f) Mohammed Ramadhan and (g) Husain Moosa following the Foreign Secretary's meetings on 19 and 20 November 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO continues to follow matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain closely, including some individual cases. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, recently raised a range of human rights concerns during his visit to Bahrain on Sunday 12 February.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the National Institute of Human Rights on medical treatment for Mr Hasan Mushaima.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to follow and discuss the case of Hasan Mushaima and others with the Bahraini Government, as well as with the independent oversight bodies. We encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his counterparts in Bahrain on medical treatment for Mr Hasan Mushaima.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to follow and discuss the case of Hasan Mushaima and others with the Bahraini Government, as well as with the independent oversight bodies. We encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the human rights standards that are in place for people imprisoned in Jau Prison in Bahrain.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We continue to monitor and regularly raise the cases of Hasan Mushaima, Dr Abduljalil al-Singace and others with the Bahraini Government as well as with the independent oversight bodies.
The British Ambassador and other international representatives visited Jau prison on 3 May 2021. Officials and ministers regularly discuss human rights issues and individual cases with senior members of the Government of Bahrain, as well as with the independent human rights oversight bodies. The visit by Minister of State for South and Central Asia, UN and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad to Bahrain from 13-14 February was such an opportunity. We continue to encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the relevant oversight bodies.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in Bahrain on securing the immediate release of (a) Hasan Mushaima and (b) Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We continue to monitor and regularly raise the cases of Hasan Mushaima, Dr Abduljalil al-Singace and others with the Bahraini Government as well as with the independent oversight bodies.
The British Ambassador and other international representatives visited Jau prison on 3 May 2021. Officials and ministers regularly discuss human rights issues and individual cases with senior members of the Government of Bahrain, as well as with the independent human rights oversight bodies. The visit by Minister of State for South and Central Asia, UN and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad to Bahrain from 13-14 February was such an opportunity. We continue to encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the relevant oversight bodies.