Asked by: Alasdair McDonnell (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 July 2016, HCWS125, whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of whether the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has committed any breaches of international humanitarian law.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 July 2016, HCWS125, the MOD monitors incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations using available information which in turn is used to form an overall view on the approach and attitude of Saudi Arabia to IHL. This in turn informs the risk assessment made under the consolidated criteria, i.e. whether there is a clear risk that it might be used in the commission of a serious IHL violation, for the purposes of the arms exports licensing risk assessment. We are not acting to determine whether a sovereign state has or has not acted in breach of IHL, but instead - as Criterion 2(c) requires – we are acting to make an overall judgement.
Asked by: Alasdair McDonnell (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli government on the overnight detention of Palestinian minors.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
While we have not raised this specific point, I raised the wider issue of Palestinian minors in detention with the Israeli Ambassador to London on 10 November. The treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention remains a human rights priority for the UK. We have expressed our concerns to the Israeli authorities on the use of single hand ties and the need to notify children of their legal rights. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised the issue of Palestinian children in detention with the Israeli authorities on 10 October. We remain committed to working with the Israeli authorities to encourage further changes in practice.
Asked by: Alasdair McDonnell (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what criteria the Government uses in order to assess whether the recognition of Palestinian statehood would be conducive to peace in that region.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a time most helpful to the peace process. We judge that a negotiated end to the occupation is the most effective way for Palestinian aspirations of statehood to be met. We continue to be one of the principal supporters of Palestinian state building efforts, assisting them to tackle poverty, build institutions and boost their economy.
Asked by: Alasdair McDonnell (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the governments of (a) Egypt, (b) Saudi Arabia and (c) United Arab Emirates on the removal of restrictions on press freedom in these countries and the Middle East.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We regularly raise our concerns over press freedoms with the Egyptian authorities both in London and in Cairo. The Prime Minister raised the detention of journalists including the trial of the Al Jazeera journalists with President Sisi during his visit to the UK in November 2015. I raised press freedoms and freedom of expression with the Egyptian Ambassador earlier this month.
We also regularly make our views on freedom of expression known to the Saudi Arabian Government. We continue to underline to the UAE that people must be allowed to freely discuss and debate issues and exercise the right to freedom of thought. We believe that reforms, including meeting citizens’ aspirations for greater participation, will be the guarantor of longer-term stability in the region.
Asked by: Alasdair McDonnell (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle the persecution of Christians in (a) Africa and (b) the Middle East.
Answered by David Lidington
The promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief is one of the UK’s human rights priorities. We regularly urge foreign governments at senior levels to uphold the rights of all minorities; work to build international consensus on freedom of religion or belief; and support practical projects on community dialogue with civil society and faith groups.
An example of our lobbying in Africa was the case of Meriam Ibrahim, who was sentenced to death for apostasy. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the member for Putney (Ms Greening) and the Minister for Africa my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Sounthend East (Mr Duddridge) all publicly condemned her sentencing, and called on the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief and international human rights laws. Following UK and international pressure Ms Ibrahim was subsequently released.
We are deeply concerned by the difficulties facing many Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East and deplore all discrimination and constraints on freedom of religion.