Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Uzbekistan about the imprisonment of Alisher Tursunov, and what diplomatic steps they are taking to secure his release.

The UK is committed to standing up for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. Our Embassy in Tashkent regularly raises human rights with the Uzbek authorities and maintains a dialogue with local human rights groups. In Uzbekistan's most recent UN Universal Periodic Review, the UK raised concerns over FoRB amongst other human rights issues and continues to consider when is most impactful and appropriate to raise individual cases.