Saudi Arabia: Political Prisoners

(asked on 4th June 2019) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 May (HL15767), when they will assess the number of political detainees in Saudi Arabia; and what plans they have to review their policy of declining to intervene with the government of Saudi Arabia on allowing access to such detainees by independent monitors.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 18th June 2019

We closely monitor political detainees in Saudi Arabia, including women’s rights defenders. We raise concerns regularly and freely, using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels, including our Ambassador and Embassy team in Riyadh. The Foreign Secretary raised the detention of women’s rights defenders during his visit to Saudi Arabia in March. The British Government cannot intervene in independent monitoring or investigation.

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