Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ensure that UK diplomats are present at the trial in Moscow of the joint British citizen Vladimir Kara-Murza.

British Embassy officials have attended Vladimir Kara-Murza's court hearings, the most recent being on 25 January. We will continue to attend, but remain vigilant to attempts by the Russian government to exclude diplomats from future hearings. The UK continues to raise Mr Kara-Murza's case with the Russian authorities and call for his release. We are providing consular support to his family and continue to request consular access. Last month I [Minister Docherty] met with Mr Kara-Murza's wife, Evgenia. We condemn the politically motivated detention of Mr Kara-Murza, and of all those who speak out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.