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 HM Ambassador to Belarus on political prisoners in that country.

The UK Government is appalled by the brutal and ongoing repression that the Lukashenko regime conducts against its own people. There are nearly 1500 political prisoners in Belarus. The regime's repression and its support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine have limited our bilateral contact. However, the UK is clear about our solidarity with all political prisoners, when possible attending trials and engaging with their families. We have also raised this issue at the UN and The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). We will continue to take every opportunity to urge the Belarusian regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and protect the human rights of its citizens.