Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the arrest, detention and alleged torture of opposition activists on 14 January 2023 and (b) other recent developments in Zimbabwe on (i) rights of expression, assembly and association and (ii) the freedom, fairness, peacefulness and credibility of the forthcoming elections in that country.

The UK is aware of the arrest of 25 opposition members on the 14 January. All incidents of violence should be investigated in full.

We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. As the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe publicly stated on 2 October 2022, the UK is committed to the fundamental rights to peaceful assembly, association and due process enshrined in Zimbabwe's constitution.

It is for the people of Zimbabwe to choose their government through peaceful, credible and inclusive elections. We encourage the Government of Zimbabwe to implement the recommendations of the 2018 Electoral Observation Missions and to allow space for political opposition and civil society organisations to operate freely ahead of elections in 2023.