Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the announcement by the Supreme Court of North Korea that North Korean escapees campaigning for human rights and democracy outside North Korea face the death penalty.

We are aware of the DPRK practice of handing out death sentences to people in absentia if they are deemed to be involved in activities from outside the DPRK which "undermine or insult the dignity of the regime." The British Government continues to be deeply concerned about the human rights situation in North Korea. We support human rights defenders and the promotion of democratic values, and oppose the death penalty in all circumstances.

The British Government will continue to raise human rights concerns, including on freedom of speech and the death penalty, with the North Korean Embassy in London, through our Embassy in Pyongyang and internationally, including at the UN.

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