Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy entitled Bahrain convicts 13 political prisoners in a mass trial amid credible torture allegations, published on 28 September 2023, whether his Department holds information on alleged use of (a) mass trials and (b) torture in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO is aware of reporting about the court proceedings referenced in the press release. We have previously been assured in other cases (where individuals linked to one charge are tried together) that an individual's right to separate legal representation of their choice is guaranteed by law. We continue to encourage allegations of torture or mistreatment to be reported to the appropriate national oversight body whose duty it is to carry out full and independent investigations into such claims.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she held discussions with the Interior Minister of Bahrain on (a) Hassan Mushaima, (b) Abduljalil al-Singace, (c) Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, (d) Abdulwahab Husain, (e) Sheikh Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad, (f) Mohammed Ramadhan and (g) Husain Moosa in April 2023.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Home Office does not comment on individual cases.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether HM Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Interior Minister of Bahrain discussed (a) human rights and (b) political prisoners' cases during their meeting on 2 April 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO follows matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain closely, including some individual cases. UK Ministers and senior officials regularly raise sensitive issues. Recently the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed a range of human rights issues and individual cases during his visit to Bahrain on Sunday 12 February. We also encourage those with issues to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini independent oversight body.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution by the Leader of the House of 22 July 2022, Official Report, column 1133, what recent steps he has taken to encourage the Government of Bahrain to return Dr al-Singace’s research and release him and other political opposition leaders immediately and unconditionally.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our close and long-standing ties with Bahrain allow UK Ministers and senior officials to raise sensitive human rights issues, including individual cases, regularly, privately and effectively. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad raised a range of human rights topics during his visit to Bahrain on Sunday 12 February, including the individual case mentioned. We encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2022 to Question 102994 on Bahrain: Political Prisoners, what progress has been made on the human rights of (a) Hassan Mushaima, (b) Abduljalil al-Singace, (c) Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, (d) Abdulwahab Husain, (e) Sheikh Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad, (f) Mohammed Ramadhan and (g) Husain Moosa following the Foreign Secretary's meetings on 19 and 20 November 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO continues to follow matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain closely, including some individual cases. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, recently raised a range of human rights concerns during his visit to Bahrain on Sunday 12 February.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2022 to Question 102994, which individual cases were raised during the Foreign Secretary's meetings with (a) the Bahrain Foreign Minister on 19 November 2022 and (b) with HRH the Crown Prince & Prime Minister of Bahrain on 20 November 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 13 December 2022 to Question 102994, the answer can be found on the Q&A web pages on https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-12-05/102994
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2022 to Question 92357 on Bahrain: Political Prisoners, whether he raised (a) human rights and (b) the cases of (i) Hassan Mushaima, (ii) Abduljalil al-Singace, (iii) Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, (iv) Abdulwahab Husain, (v) Sheikh Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad, (vi) Mohammed Ramadhan or (vii) Husain Moosa by name during his meeting with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister on 19 November 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to follow developments on matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain. Our close and long-standing ties with Bahrain allow UK Ministers and senior officials to raise sensitive human rights issues, including individual cases, regularly, privately and effectively. The topic of human rights was raised in the Foreign Secretary's meetings with the Bahrain Foreign Minister on 19 November 2022 and with HRH the Crown Prince & Prime Minister of Bahrain on 20 November 2022.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2022 to Question 92357 on Bahrain: Political Prisoners, whether he raised (a) human rights and (b) the cases of (i) Hassan Mushaima, (ii) Abduljalil al-Singace, (iii) Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, (iv) Abdulwahab Husain, (v) Sheikh Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad, (vi) Mohammed Ramadhan or (vii) Husain Moosa by name during his meeting with the Prime Minister of Bahrain on 19 November 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to follow developments on matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain. Our close and long-standing ties with Bahrain allow UK Ministers and senior officials to raise sensitive human rights issues, including individual cases, regularly, privately and effectively. The topic of human rights was raised in the Foreign Secretary's meetings with the Bahrain Foreign Minister on 19 November 2022 and with HRH the Crown Prince & Prime Minister of Bahrain on 20 November 2022.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the letter sent to the Prime Minister on 11 November 2022 by 12 members of both Houses of Parliament on elections in Bahrain, if he will take steps to call upon Bahrain to (a) release opposition leaders, political prisoners and death row inmates and (b) repeal political isolation laws; and if he will make it his policy not to recognise the outcome of Bahrain’s elections.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has taken note of the letter in question. Parliamentary elections took place in Bahrain on 12 and 19 November, which were peaceful and were monitored by local NGOs and civil society groups. The UK draws on a number of sources of information when determining its approach in Bahrain and elsewhere. Ministers and officials have regular discussions with senior Bahraini counterparts on human rights, including on specific cases, most recently during the Foreign Secretary's meetings with HRH the Crown Prince and the Foreign Minister of Bahrain in November in Manama.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his counterparts in Bahrain to press for the immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned opposition leaders and human rights activists Hassan Mushaima, Abduljalil al-Singace, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Abdulwahab Husain and Sheikh Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Officials and ministers have regular discussions with Bahraini counterparts on human rights issues, most recently the Foreign Secretary's meeting with Bahrain's Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani this month in Bahrain. We continue to follow developments on all matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain and discuss individual cases both with the Bahraini Government as well as with the independent oversight bodies when necessary.