PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Bahrain (20 March 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the communication to Bahrain by the UN Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, Special Rapporteur on free assembly and Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders on 14 October 2014, expressing concerns about the trial of Mr Nabeel Rajab in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by:
Jeremy Corbyn (Your Party)

I am aware that a number of UN rapporteurs wrote to the Government of Bahrain in October 2014 in relation to the arrest of Nabeel Rajab. I have raised Mr. Rajab’s case with senior representatives of the Government of Bahrain, and encouraged the Bahraini authorities to ensure due process is followed and international norms of justice are upheld, including with regards to freedom of expression. British embassy officials have attended Mr Rajab’s court appearances to underline the UK’s interest in his case and the UK Government will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Answered by:
Mr Tobias Ellwood (Conservative)
24 March 2015