Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the detention of Mr Biram Dah Abeid in Rosso, Mauritania on 11 November 2014.

We have received reports of the recent arrest of Mr Biram Abeid and other anti-slavery activists from local media, from Mr Abeid’s adviser and from NGOs active in Mauritania. We understand that an anti-slavery protest took place without permission and was broken up by police. Mr Abeid – though not originally part of the protest – joined in and was arrested. We are following this case closely.

We will continue to engage with Mauritania on human rights issues and work closely with our international partners represented in Nouakchott including diplomatic institutions, the United Nations, European Union and African Union.