Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to the Government of Saudi Arabia following the Saudi Arabian Appeals Court’s decision of 13 June 2022 to uphold a death sentence against Abdullah al-Howaiti for crimes allegedly committed when he was 14 years old.

The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We raise concern regarding all known juvenile death penalty defendants with the Saudi authorities. The British Embassy Riyadh closely monitors the cases of all juvenile death penalty defendants and regularly attempts to attend their trials. We raise human rights at all levels with the Saudi authorities, including ministerial channels. On 23 May I raised concerns about juvenile death penalty sentencing with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK.