Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing sanctions under Section 1(2)(f) of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 on officials from Oman involved in human rights abuses against the Shuhuh 6.
Answered by Alan Duncan
My Rt Hon Friend The Minister of State for the Middle East has raised these cases with the Omani authorities, as has our Ambassador in Muscat. They have given us the strongest assurances that the individuals concerned were given full legal assistance and treated in accordance with Oman’s constitution and international laws and conventions. There is no evidence of any discrimination against the Shihuh more generally, many of whom occupy senior positions in the Omani state and wider society. Our current assessment of the situation means that we see no merit in considering any action.
With regard to the use of the powers under Section 1(2)(f) of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act, the government is actively considering establishing a human rights sanctions regime to support the UK’s work in promoting and defending human rights around the world. Any potential listings would need to be consistent with the purposes of the regime and thresholds for evidence. As the sanctions regime is not yet established we are not able to provide any comment on possible designations.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June to Question 261149, what assessment the Government has made the accuracy of claims by Amnesty International that at least one member of the Shuhuh Six, Mohammed Abdullah al-Shahi, has been unjustly imprisoned.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
As outlined in the answer to Question 261149 of 14 June, our Ambassador in Muscat raised the arrests with the Omani authorities on 27 May. We have received strong assurances from the Omani Government that the individuals arrested were prosecuted in accordance with Oman’s Penal Code and human rights commitments enshrined in Oman’s Basic Law (the Omani constitution). We continue to monitor developments in this case closely.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what response his Department has had from the Omani authorities since raising the case of the Shuhuh 6.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
I raised the allegations with the Omani Ambassador on 21 May who gave assurances that there is no discrimination against members of the Shihuh tribe. Our Ambassador in Muscat has also raised the arrests with the Omani authorities, most recently on 27 May with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who have also confirmed that there is no discrimination against any tribe or community in Oman. They have also conveyed assurances from the Oman Human Rights Commission that the individuals arrested in Musandam were treated with respect for their human rights and given full access to legal assistance.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if will make representations to his counterpart in Bahrain on the failure of prison authorities in Isa Town Prison and local oversight bodies to facilitate a mammogram for political prisoner Hajer Mansoor Hassan who is being denied access to medical care for a lump in her breast.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The British Embassy and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to follow the case of Ms Mansoor and have raised the issue of access to medical care with the Government of Bahrain at a senior level.
The Government of Bahrain have given categorical assurances that Ms Mansoor has had a mammogram and is awaiting the results, and will continue to receive access to appropriate medical care, as guaranteed by the constitution of Bahrain.
We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report them to the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body. We continue to encourage these oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such concerns or allegations.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question HL13338 on Sheikh Ali Salman, whether the Minister for the Middle East called for the release of Bahraini opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman during his meeting with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to London on 5 November 2018.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Honourable Lady will have seen my statement of 4 November where I expressed my concerns on the further sentencing of Sheikh Ali Salman. On 5 November I discussed these concerns with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the UK and again with the Bahrain Minister of Foreign Affairs on 20 February 2019. We will continue to closely monitor the case. The UK has raised this case at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain.