Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2021 to Question 3011 on Mohammed Al-Roken, what recent discussions he has had with the United Arab Emirates on Mohammed Al-Roken's release.

We are aware of reports that Mohammed al Roken was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in 2012 and remains in detention. The UK urges all countries to uphold their international human rights obligations and believes that the best approach is to promote and defend universal freedoms. The strength of the UK-UAE relationship means we can discuss issues such as respect for the right to peaceful protest and assembly, the rule of law, freedom of speech and of the press, in a frank and open way. Where the UK has cause for concern, we raise these concerns including at senior level, most recently with the UAE, Director Human Rights. We will continue to seek opportunities to do so at official and Ministerial level.