Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief visited Bahraini prisons on his most recent trip to Bahrain to verify the allegations of religious discrimination against Shia inmates.

The Prime Minister’s Special Envoy Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), Rehman Chishti MP, visited Bahrain on 8-10 October, marking his first official trip in the role. Mr. Chrishti did not visit Bahraini prisons, although throughout his visit he did meet religious leaders and visited places of worship and meeting halls from different faiths represented in Bahrain, including the Shia husseinya, to discuss FoRB. His audience with HM King Hamad was an opportunity to further discuss the matter.