Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on (a) the arbitrary detainment of prisoners and (b) alleged human rights abuses in prisons in that country.

The UK Government raises human rights issues in Egypt with Egyptian counterparts in London and Cairo, privately and publicly. We want to see more political progress and better protection of human rights in Egypt, including implementation of the rights guaranteed by Egypt's constitution, which are essential for Egypt's long-term stability. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon most recently discussed both arbitrary detention of prisoners and alleged human rights abuses in prisons with the Egyptian Ambassador on 20 February. In March and September 2023, we raised human rights in Egypt through our Item 4 statements at the Human Rights Council. The FCDO has also raised concerns regarding inadequate prison conditions in our Annual Human Rights and Democracy Reports 2022 and 2023.