Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Bahraini government on its (a) human rights record and (b) allegations of torture against political prisoners.

Our Ambassador and his team regularly discuss human rights, including allegations of torture and mistreatment, with the Government of Bahrain at the highest levels. The British Government consistently and unreservedly condemns torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and it is a priority for us to combat it wherever and whenever it occurs. As well as raising our concerns with the Government of Bahrain, the UK continues to work with the Bahraini authorities to share best practice on torture prevention measures and address allegations of torture and mistreatment.

We commend the steps taken by the Bahraini Government to implement the recommendations set out in the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry. As outlined in our recent human rights case study on Bahrain, progress has been made in a number of areas but there is still more to be done.