Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the government of Tunisia and (b) other international partners on the human rights situation in that country.

We monitor the human rights situation in Tunisia closely. The UK urges the Tunisian Government to respect the principles and values of an open and democratic society at every available opportunity. Most recently, the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, reiterated this message during his meeting with the Tunisian Foreign Minister on 4 May. The UK also coordinates with likeminded partners on how to collectively address human rights. For example, Lord Ahmad's statement of 18 April on the arrest of Rached Ghannouchi reflected an international alignment of views on the case.