Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Zimbabwean counterpart to ensure that individuals detained by the military and the police during the recent unrest are given a fair trial in accordance with international law.

I summoned the Zimbabwean Ambassador on 17 January to express our concern at the ongoing situation there, and to urge the security forces to stop using disproportionate force and to investigate any cases of alleged human rights violations and abuses. On 30 January, I spoke to Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Moyo, repeating our calls for an end to human rights violations and abuses and a full investigation into all allegations, including arbitrary arrests.

We will continue to call on the Government of Zimbabwe to investigate all allegations of human rights violations and abuses and urge them to follow the due process of law.

The British Embassy team continue to attend court cases in Harare and Bulawayo and are in regular contact with the legal teams of a number of individuals who have been arrested.