Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the recent imprisonment of of Mubarak Bala in Nigeria, if she will (a) invite and (b) support the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative to undertake an inquiry into the extent to which Commonwealth member states respect the right of their citizens to freedom of religion and belief.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Bilaterally, Ministers and officials regularly raise specific cases of concern, and do not shy away from challenging those we believe are not meeting their obligations, whether publicly or in private. For instance, since Mr Bala's sentence, the British High Commissioner has engaged with the Kano State Government and the President's Chief of Staff, to make clear the importance of Mr Bala being treated in full accordance with his human rights, the rule of law, and the Nigerian constitutional right to freedom of religion or belief.

As an independent international non-governmental organisation, it is for the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative to determine what work they undertake in line with their own strategic priorities.