Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government plans to request the release of Mr Andargachew Tsege during future Ministerial visits to Ethiopia.

The Government takes the detention and welfare of Mr Andargachew Tsege very seriously. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised Mr Tsege’s case with the Ethiopian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister during his visit to Ethiopia on 1 June 2016. The Foreign Secretary received assurances that Mr Tsege will be allowed access to independent legal advice to allow him to discuss options under the Ethiopian legal system. We will continue to press the Ethiopians as necessary, including during any future Ministerial visits, to ensure that Mr Tsege has legal representation. During the visit, the Foreign Secretary despatched a senior Foreign Office official, travelling with him, to visit Mr Tsege in prison.