Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken (1) to call for the release of three members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights organisation who were arrested by the government of Egypt following a meeting with European diplomats on 3 November, and (2) to communicate any concerns to the government of Egypt about civil rights in that country.

The UK is deeply concerned about the arrest of Gasser Abdel Razek, Mohammed Basheer and Karim Ennarah. We continue to raise our concerns with the Egyptian authorities both in London and in Cairo. All human rights defenders should be able to work without fear of arrest or reprisals. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue directly with his Egyptian counterpart on 19 November. We are working closely with partners in the international community who share our concerns.