Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has a tracker database of alleged violations of international law.
Answered by Leo Docherty
We are monitoring closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied-Palestinian Territories. We regularly review advice about Israel's commitment and capability to comply with International Humanitarian Law.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps the Government takes to meet its legal obligation to prevent genocide.
Answered by Leo Docherty
As a party to the Genocide Convention, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the Convention.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Government of Nigeria on (a) the matter of individuals with minority beliefs receiving the death penalty for blasphemy and (b) the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all is a human rights priority for the UK and a constitutional commitment of the Nigerian Government. The UK strongly opposes capital punishment in all circumstances and regularly raises blasphemy and death penalty cases with our partners. The British High Commission raises human rights issues, including FoRB, regularly with Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Officials raised Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, and other blasphemy cases, with the Executive Secretary of the NHRC in April 2023. The UK's Special Envoy for FoRB wrote to the governor of Kano State to raise concern about Sharif-Aminu's sentencing under the state's penal code in December 2022. She will follow up on this with the new governor.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has received on the law on blasphemy in Nigeria.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all is a human rights priority for the UK and a constitutional commitment of the Nigerian Government. The UK strongly opposes capital punishment in all circumstances and regularly raises blasphemy and death penalty cases with our partners. The British High Commission raises human rights issues, including FoRB, regularly with Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Officials raised Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, and other blasphemy cases, with the Executive Secretary of the NHRC in April 2023. The UK's Special Envoy for FoRB wrote to the governor of Kano State to raise concern about Sharif-Aminu's sentencing under the state's penal code in December 2022. She will follow up on this with the new governor.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has received from (a) The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and (b) human rights organisations in respect of potential of forced (i) evictions, (ii) displacement and (iii) transfer against Palestinians living in the Masafer Yatta region of the West Bank.
Answered by David Rutley
Demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering; call into question Israel's commitment to a viable two-state solution; and in all but the most exceptional of cases are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, reiterated this position to Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in January, during which time he also visited a school in Masafer Yatta. The Foreign Secretary has also made this point to Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen when he met with him on 21 March. The UK, through the British Consulate General Jerusalem, continues to work closely with human rights organisations operating in Masafer Yatta.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Israel to stop evictions, displacement and forcible transfers affecting Palestinians living in the Masafer Yatta region of the occupied West Bank.
Answered by David Rutley
Demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering; call into question Israel's commitment to a viable two-state solution; and in all but the most exceptional of cases are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, reiterated this position to Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in January, during which time he also visited a school in Masafer Yatta. The Foreign Secretary has also made this point to Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen when he met with him on 21 March. The UK, through the British Consulate General Jerusalem, continues to work closely with human rights organisations operating in Masafer Yatta.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in Pakistan on (a) the postponement of elections and (b) the arrest of the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK has a longstanding and close relationship with Pakistan. We are aware of the arrest of Imran Khan on 9 May and his subsequent release. We continue to monitor the situation closely. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, spoke to the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, on 9 May and to Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on 10 and 13 May, where he emphasised the importance of peaceful democratic rights, including the right to protest, adherence to the rule of law and transparency in legal processes.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Pakistan on (a) respecting the fundamental human rights of its citizens and (b) upholding democratic values.
Answered by Leo Docherty
We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Pakistan closely. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, spoke to the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, on 9 May and to Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on 10 and 13 May, where he emphasised the importance of peaceful democratic rights, including the right to protest, adherence to the rule of law and transparency in legal processes. Where there are allegations of human rights violations, we expect these to be fully investigated in line with international human rights law.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations his Department has received from human rights organisations on reports of alleged human rights violations in Pakistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty
We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Pakistan closely. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, spoke to the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, on 9 May and to Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on 10 and 13 May, where he emphasised the importance of peaceful democratic rights, including the right to protest, adherence to the rule of law and transparency in legal processes. Where there are allegations of human rights violations, we expect these to be fully investigated in line with international human rights law.