Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled Call for the immediate release of Osman Kavala, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 12 October 2023.

We recognise the significance of the award of the Václav Havel Prize to Osman Kavala and the subsequent PACE debate. The award and the overwhelming vote in favour of the release of Mr Kavala, highlight that Osman Kavala remains in prison despite two separate rulings by the European Court of Human Rights calling for his immediate release, a call that the UK has consistently joined. We will continue to work with Council of Europe Member States including Turkey, to find a solution to the situation.