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Written Question
Bahrain: Prisons
Friday 9th June 2023

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to provide (a) training and (b) project funding to prisons in Bahrain in the 2023-24 financial year.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO continues to support Bahraini-led reform in a range of areas, including security and justice. The FCDO will continue to support the Ministry of Interior's reforms in Financial Year (FY) 2023/24, though project areas are yet to be formally confirmed. There is no direct funding provided to prisons and all technical assistance is delivered through implementing partners.


Written Question
Bahrain: Technical Assistance
Thursday 1st June 2023

Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to continue to provide technical assistance to the (a) Ministry of Interior, (b) Ministry of Interior Ombudsman and (c) Special Investigations Unit of Bahrain through (i) the Gulf Strategy Fund and (ii) other means.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO supports Bahraini-led reforms in a range of areas, including security and justice. All assistance is delivered through implementing partners under the Gulf Strategy Fund. The latest list of projects in Bahrain for Financial Year 2022/23 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-fcdo-international-programme-spend-objectives-2022-to-2023/fcdo-gulf-strategy-fund-gsf.

The FCDO will continue to support the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Interior's Ombudsman and the Special Investigation Unit of Bahrain in Financial Year 2023/24.


Written Question
Bahrain: Human Rights
Wednesday 26th October 2022

Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations in the report by Human Rights Watch and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy The Court is Satisfied with the Confession, published on 10 October, that they (1) urge the government of Bahrain to implement the report’s recommendations, (2) suspend funding, support, technical assistance and training for security services and the judiciary until Bahrain enacts and complies with the recommendations in the report, and (3) urge the government of Bahrain to halt all executions and investigate torture allegations and violations of the right to a fair trial.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK government uses a range of reports and analyses and is aware of these cases. The UK's long-standing policy is to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, in all countries, as a matter of principle, which we have made clear on a regular basis to the Government of Bahrain.


Written Question
Bahrain: Human Rights
Friday 10th September 2021

Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the human rights of people in Bahrain.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

Bahrain is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country. The UK provides technical and practical assistance to the Government of Bahrain, helping to underpin human rights and other reforms in the Kingdom. Any training provided by or on behalf of the UK government complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations and is kept under regular review. We regularly raise human rights issues and individual cases with senior members of the Government of Bahrain, and continue to raise specific cases with senior interlocutors, as well as with the independent human rights oversight bodies.


Written Question
Bahrain: Military Aid
Monday 19th July 2021

Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK continues to provide military (a) training and (b) technical assistance to Bahrain despite reports of human rights abuses in that country.

Answered by James Heappey

All training and assistance for Bahrain fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations and is kept under regular review. Bahrain is a human rights priority country. As such, HMG regularly raises human rights issues and individual cases with the Government of Bahrain.


Written Question
Bahrain: Human Rights
Wednesday 20th January 2021

Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the Human Rights Watch 2020 Annual Report's finding that (a) human rights in Bahrain have not improved, (b) online repression has increased and (c) the use of the death penalty continued to be marred by torture allegations and due process violations; and what assessment he has made of the effect of those findings on UK technical assistance to Bahrain.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We take note of a number of sources of information and continue to monitor closely developments on all matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain, publishing our assessments in the annual Human Rights Report, most recently in July 2020.


Written Question
Bahrain: Technical Assistance
Monday 23rd November 2020

Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that 51 individuals have been convicted in Bahrain in a mass trial and of allegations of due process violations and confessions arising from torture; whether they plan to reconsider their technical assistance programme to Bahrain; and if not, why not.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware of the trial and conviction of 51 people on terrorism related charges, including possession of explosives, with sentences ranging from 5 years to life in prison. The right to a fair trial is enshrined in the constitution of Bahrain; we continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to follow due process in all cases and meet its international and domestic human rights commitments. We would encourage those with any concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body.

Assistance, which is kept under regular review, is provided in line with international standards, and fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.


Written Question
Bahrain: Technical Assistance
Monday 19th October 2020

Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 22 May 2018 to Question HL7775 on Bahrain: Technical Assistance, if he will place in the Library copies of those Government responses to freedom of information requests which contain updates on the Integrated Activity Fund programme.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

I have asked officials to deposit in the Library of the House of Commons copies of responses to freedom of information requests held by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office which contain updates on the Integrated Activity Fund programme.


Written Question
Bahrain: Foreign Relations
Thursday 24th September 2020

Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the meeting that took place between Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Ministers and the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 September, whether they discussed (1) the cases of death row inmates and torture victims Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa, (2) political prisoners in Bahrain, (3) medical negligence in Bahraini prisons, (4) prison conditions in Bahrain, and (5) the UK’s technical assistance programme to Bahrain.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I raised the cases of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa during my recent meeting with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The Minister for the Middle East and I raised the use of the death penalty in Bahrain with the Foreign Minister, reiterating that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. The UK also provides technical assistance in support of Bahrain's ongoing reform agenda. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure compliance with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process

The Government of Bahrain has made clear that access to appropriate medical care for those in detention continues to be guaranteed, which means under normal circumstances that any prisoner wishing to see a doctor is taken to the prison clinic, with referral to specialist facilities where required; but that as part of Bahrain's COVID-19 precautions, all initial medical consultations now take place via video calls. Where necessary, physical appointments with external medical specialists continue to be available, although, in line with guidance issued by the World Health Organization, prisoners seeing external specialists are required to isolate for 10 days in a separate detention facility before returning to prison ensuring the safety of both patients and medical staff. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain, urge continued transparency and would encourage those with any concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body.


Written Question
Bahrain: Foreign Relations
Thursday 24th September 2020

Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the meeting that took place between Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Ministers and the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 September, what plans they have to increase cooperation with Bahrain.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Bahrain have a close and longstanding relationship. We benefit from a genuine and open dialogue in which we work together on a wide range of mutually beneficial issues while also raising points of significant difference with one another. The UK provides technical assistance in support of Bahrain's ongoing reform agenda. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure compliance with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process.