Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Government of Bahrain on recent punitive measures against Nabeel Rajab in Jau Prison.

We have raised the case of Nabeel Rajab at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. My statement of 21 February made clear my concerns at the five-year sentence handed to Mr Rajab in addition to the two-year sentence he received in 2017. I understand that Mr Rajab has a right of appeal in this case and we will continue to monitor proceedings closely.

We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the relevant human rights oversight bodies. We continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments.