Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of reports by the human rights group Reprieve that Egypt has issued preliminary death sentences to at least 10 juveniles since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power.
Answered by Mark Field
It remains a long-standing policy of the United Kingdom to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We have regularly made our position clear to the Egyptian Government.
Our Embassy in Cairo has raised with the Egyptian authorities our concerns about Article 122 of the Child Law, which allows certain juveniles to be tried as adults, as well as the case of Ahmed Saddouma. The Egyptian authorities have told us they are looking into this and similar cases, in addition to our wider concerns about Article 122. We have also engaged with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on this issue; our Embassy arranged for Reprieve to brief representatives of other EU Member States in Cairo on this subject last year.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the UK Government has made of the legal basis of the sentencing to death of Ahmed Saddouma in Egypt.
Answered by Mark Field
It remains a long-standing policy of the United Kingdom to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We have regularly made our position clear to the Egyptian Government.
Our Embassy in Cairo has raised with the Egyptian authorities our concerns about Article 122 of the Child Law, which allows certain juveniles to be tried as adults, as well as the case of Ahmed Saddouma. The Egyptian authorities have told us they are looking into this and similar cases, in addition to our wider concerns about Article 122. We have also engaged with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on this issue; our Embassy arranged for Reprieve to brief representatives of other EU Member States in Cairo on this subject last year.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 to Question 236249 on Syria: Detainees, what his Department's policy is on the transfer of UK nationals detained in North East Syria to Iraq for prosecution in Iraqi domestic courts.
Answered by Mark Field
Any decision in relation to the continued detention, transfer or prosecution of detainees is ultimately a matter for authorities under whose jurisdiction the individuals are detained. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We have human rights concerns relating to the trials in Iraq’s domestic courts of Iraqi nationals suspected of support for Daesh: we regularly raise these concerns, including our opposition to the death penalty, with the Iraqi authorities.
The UK will continue to work closely with international partners in addressing the issues associated with foreign terrorist fighters and in the pursuit of justice of those who have participated in terrorism overseas.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of risk of (a) the death penalty and (b) torture for UK nationals transferred to Iraq from North East Syria.
Answered by Mark Field
Any decision in relation to the continued detention, transfer or prosecution of detainees is ultimately a matter for authorities under whose jurisdiction the individuals are detained. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We have human rights concerns relating to the trials in Iraq’s domestic courts of Iraqi nationals suspected of support for Daesh: we regularly raise these concerns, including our opposition to the death penalty, with the Iraqi authorities.
The UK will continue to work closely with international partners in addressing the issues associated with foreign terrorist fighters and in the pursuit of justice of those who have participated in terrorism overseas.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 to Question 236247 on Syria: British Nationals Abroad and the Answer of 28 March 2019 to Question 236249 on Syria: Detainees, what assessment he has made of Iraq’s domestic court system as an (a) appropriate jurisdiction and (b) appropriate means of justice for trying UK nationals held in North East Syria suspected of serious crimes.
Answered by Mark Field
Any decision in relation to the continued detention, transfer or prosecution of detainees is ultimately a matter for authorities under whose jurisdiction the individuals are detained. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We have human rights concerns relating to the trials in Iraq’s domestic courts of Iraqi nationals suspected of support for Daesh: we regularly raise these concerns, including our opposition to the death penalty, with the Iraqi authorities.
The UK will continue to work closely with international partners in addressing the issues associated with foreign terrorist fighters and in the pursuit of justice of those who have participated in terrorism overseas.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2019 to Question 234069, whether his Department has updated its advice to UK citizens travelling to the United Arab Emirates since the arrest of Matthew Hedges and Ali Issa Ahmad.
Answered by Mark Field
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 14 October 2014 (PQ 234069). We keep all Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice, including for the United Arab Emirates, under constant review to ensure it reflects our assessment of risk to British nationals and includes information and advice on the most relevant issues for British nationals travelling or living abroad.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment the Government has made of options for the return of UK nationals detained in North East Syria to be charged and prosecuted in the UK.
Answered by Mark Field
We wish to see those who have fought for or supported Daesh in Iraq or Syria, whatever their nationality, brought to justice for their crimes in accordance with due legal process in the most appropriate jurisdiction. If a UK national returns from Syria, it is for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to decide if they should be prosecuted, which is a decision partly based on the available evidence. Individuals can be convicted in UK courts of offences committed overseas (including preparation of terrorism, encouragement of terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation). However, for crimes committed in Daesh-held territory in Syria it can be extremely difficult to obtain evidence that would be admissible in a UK court.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether departmental officials will attend court hearings in Riyadh for detained women’s rights activists.
Answered by Mark Field
The UK attends trials of international importance in all countries where permitted. The UK, along with other embassies in Saudi Arabia, requested and were denied access to the trials of women’s rights defenders that took place on 13 and 27 March.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on (a) the transfer of detainees to the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay and (b) the closure of that detention facility.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The UK Government's long-standing position remains that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close and therefore does not support any transfers to it.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on the transfer of detainees in North East Syria for prosecution to authorities in (a) Assad-controlled Syria and (b) Iraq for prosecution in Iraqi domestic courts.
Answered by Mark Field
We wish to see those who have fought for or supported Daesh in Iraq or Syria, whatever their nationality, brought to justice for their crimes in accordance with due legal process in the most appropriate jurisdiction. We are aware of reported discussions between the detaining authorities in north-east Syria and the Iraqi authorities about possible transfer of Iraqi nationals for prosecution in Iraqi courts. We are not aware of any such discussions with the Syrian regime. Given the regime's appalling human rights record, we would not view prosecution by the Asad regime as an appropriate means of justice.