Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has raised the increase in the cost of work permits for foreign workers in South Sudan with the South Sudanese Government.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are concerned by the increasingly challenging environment for foreign workers in South Sudan, especially those working for humanitarian organisations and aid agencies. The continued obstruction of their work by the Government of South Sudan is particularly troubling following the declaration of famine in parts of Greater Unity State. The proposal to increase the cost of work permits will hinder their response. In light of the desperate situation, we are planning together with our international partners urgently to raise these issues with the Government of South Sudan.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
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 effect on freedom of religion or belief in Sudan as a result of the verdict in the recent case related to Reverend Hassan Abduraheem, Petr Jasek and Abdumonem Abdumawla in that country.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are deeply concerned by the verdict in the case against Pastor Hassan Abduelraheen Kodi, Petr Jasek, and Abdulmonem Abdumawlla. We are aware that the defendants have the right to appeal. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum were present in court for the verdict, and together with our international partners, coordinated attendance at all hearings since their initial arrest. We have regularly raised our concerns over this case directly with the Government of Sudan, most recently on 22 January; and we will continue to do so as part of our ongoing human rights dialogue.
More widely, freedom of religion or belief in Sudan remains a concern. We continue to urge the Government of Sudan to uphold the commitments of the Interim Constitution of 2005, within which religious freedom is enshrined.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the sentence given to Reverend Hassan Abduraheem, Petr Jasek and Abdumonem Abdumawla in Sudan; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are deeply concerned by the verdict in the case against Pastor Hassan Abduelraheen Kodi, Petr Jasek, and Abdulmonem Abdumawlla. We are aware that the defendants have the right to appeal. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum were present in court for the verdict, and together with our international partners, coordinated attendance at all hearings since their initial arrest. We have regularly raised our concerns over this case directly with the Government of Sudan, most recently on 22 January; and we will continue to do so as part of our ongoing human rights dialogue.
More widely, freedom of religion or belief in Sudan remains a concern. We continue to urge the Government of Sudan to uphold the commitments of the Interim Constitution of 2005, within which religious freedom is enshrined.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the alleged torture of Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam by Sudanese authorities during his ongoing detention without charge; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We remain deeply concerned by the ongoing detention of Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, and allegations that he has been tortured. Both our Ambassador in Khartoum and the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan most recently raised our concerns about this case directly with senior Sudanese government figures, including Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on 24 January, during the visit of the UK Special Representative to Khartoum between 21-28 January. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum also pressed the Sudanese government to allow access for Dr Mudawi’s family, and we are aware that they visited him in prison on 27 January.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan, Chris Trott, raised the ongoing detention without charge of Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam during his meeting with the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, on 24 January 2017.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We remain deeply concerned by the ongoing detention of Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, and allegations that he has been tortured. Both our Ambassador in Khartoum and the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan most recently raised our concerns about this case directly with senior Sudanese Government figures, including Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on 24 January, during the visit of the UK Special Representative to Khartoum between 21-28 January. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum also pressed the Sudanese government to allow access for Dr Mudawi’s family, and we are aware that they visited him in prison on 27 January.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
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 government of Sudan on the arrest of the human rights defender Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam and his driver Adam El-Sheikh Mukhtar on 7 December 2016.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Whilst we have not yet raised this case specifically with the government of Sudan, we have expressed our support for the African Commission on Human and People's Rights' call for the release of Dr Mudawi made on 17 December.
We regularly make representations to the government of Sudan on arbitrary arrests and detentions of human rights defenders. Most recently, together with our Troika (US and Norway), EU and other international partners we released a statement on 7 December condemning the increase in political detentions and newspapers' censorship.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has received on the death sentence of Mohammed Ramadan in Bahrain.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our Embassy in Bahrain continute to closely monitor Mohammed Ramadan's case. We also continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments. We have raised concerns both in public and in private, by having frank discussions including at the most senior levels. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) was very clear during her recent visit that we want to see Gulf states embed international norms and see through essential reforms.Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sudanese counterpart on the trial of members and affiliates of the Centre for Training and Human Development.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We continue to raise our concerns about the trial of members of the human rights NGO TRACKs directly with the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of our ongoing human rights dialogue, most recently during the visit of the Sudanese Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs on 10 October. I also made our wider human rights concerns clear to the Sudanese delegation during the same visit.
In coordination with our international partners we have ensured that there is a diplomatic presence at each stage of the trial of the members and affiliates of the Centre for Training and Human Development. Officials from our Embassy last attended on 30 August, and US officials attended the most recent hearing on 22 November.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the fairness of the trial relating to members and affiliates of the Centre for Training and Human Development in Sudan.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We continue to raise our concerns about the trial of members of the human rights NGO TRACKs directly with the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of our ongoing human rights dialogue, most recently during the visit of the Sudanese Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs on 10 October. I also made our wider human rights concerns clear to the Sudanese delegation during the same visit.
In coordination with our international partners we have ensured that there is a diplomatic presence at each stage of the trial of the members and affiliates of the Centre for Training and Human Development. Officials from our Embassy last attended on 30 August, and US officials attended the most recent hearing on 22 November.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sudanese counterpart on the six-month detention of Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Midhat Afif Al-Deen Hamdan and Mustafa Adam on charges relating to their work and affiliation with the Centre for Training and Human Development.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We continue to raise our concerns about the trial of members of the human rights NGO TRACKs directly with the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of our ongoing human rights dialogue, most recently during the visit of the Sudanese Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs on 10 October. I also made our wider human rights concerns clear to the Sudanese delegation during the same visit.
In coordination with our international partners we have ensured that there is a diplomatic presence at each stage of the trial of the members and affiliates of the Centre for Training and Human Development. Officials from our Embassy last attended on 30 August, and US officials attended the most recent hearing on 22 November.