Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the arrest and imprisonment of Ms Zainab Al Khawaja whilst attempting to visit her father in prison in Bahrain; and whether they plan to hold discussions with the government of Bahrain about her imprisonment.

This case against Zainab Al Khawaja follows an incident in Jau prison when her father, Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, was on hunger strike. We understand Ms Al Khawaja attempted to enter an area of the prison closed to the public and stage a sit-in, and as a result, was forcibly removed from the facility. She has the right to appeal. Our Embassy in Bahrain will continue to monitor the case closely.