Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Tunisia regarding the sentencing of Rached Ghannouchi, former Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament, to 20 years' imprisonment; and what steps they are taking to press for his release in light of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s finding (Opinion No. 63/2025) that his detention is arbitrary.

The UK monitors the political context in Tunisia closely, including changes to the sentences of Mr Rached Ghannouchi and others. The UK regularly encourages respect for civil, political, social and economic rights and the rule of law in Tunisia. Our Ambassador to Tunisia has raised the case of Mr Ghannouchi with the Tunisian authorities, and Ministers have underlined the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government. To date, the UK has used a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open and inclusive society in Tunisia.