Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates to condemn the (a) detention of Ryan Cornelius in contravention of the ruling of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, (b) treatment of Ryan Cornelius in Al Awhir prison in contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and (c) attempted coercion of Ryan Cornelius to sign a statement that he is well-treated in Al Awhir prison.

FCDO Ministers regularly raise consular cases with their foreign counterparts. The Foreign Secretary last discussed Ryan Cornelius' case with the UAE Foreign Minister in December 2024. The FCDO takes the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's opinions seriously. While their recommendations are not legally binding, we will continue to highlight their concerns in discussions with UAE authorities. The FCDO are providing Mr Cornelius with consular assistance, and we take any reports of human rights violations, including coercion and poor prison conditions very seriously and, with the consent of Mr Cornelius, will raise any concerns with local authorities.