Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt about the forced repatriation of the Sudanese journalist, Mohamed Boshi.

We are aware of recent reports regarding Mohamed Boshi and are monitoring the case. The UK regularly raises concerns about freedom of expression with the Egyptian Government both in public and private. On 18 September we issued a statement at the UN Human Rights Council in which we raised specific concerns about the 'arrests of activists, bloggers and journalists'. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa also raised concerns over freedom of expression with the Egyptian Foreign Minister during his visit to Cairo on 14 October. I raised concerns over freedom of the media with the Assistant Foreign Minister during my visit to Cairo on 19 November.