Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Azerbaijani Government on human rights abuses in that country.

The Government raises human rights issues with Azerbaijan both bilaterally and multilaterally through the EU, OSCE (Organisation for Security Co-Operation in Europe) and the Council of Europe. The UK’s strong relationship with Azerbaijan facilitates this engagement and enables us to maintain a regular dialogue on human rights and other issues at the most senior levels. The Prime Minister recently raised human rights with President Aliyev in London on 26 April.