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 validity of the case against Mr Nabeel Rajab; and what representations his Department has made to the Bahraini Government on Mr Rajab.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 October 2018 (PQ 180116).

The honourable member will recall that I expressed my concerns on the sentence given to Mr Rajab in my written statement of 21 February. I also reiterated the UK's call for Bahrain to protect freedom of expression for all its citizens, in line with international obligations.

Our Embassy in Bahrain has closely monitored the trials of Mr Rajab. Officials from the Embassy regularly attend Mr Rajab's court hearings, including the handing down of the latest appeal verdict. We have raised the case at senior levels as part of the UK's ongoing open dialogue with Bahrain. I am aware that there is now an opportunity for Mr Rajab's legal team to apply for an appeal through the judicial system. My officials will continue to monitor the case closely.