Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of the Republic of Sudan on the arrest and detention of Rev. Yat Michael and Rev. Peter Yen Reith of the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church.

I refer my Hon Friend to the response the Minister of State, my Rt Hon and noble Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Baroness Anelay gave on 22 June 2015 (PQHL315), that our Embassy in Khartoum has previously raised these concerning cases with the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since then, we have maintained close contact with the legal teams working on behalf of the two pastors, and an official from our Embassy in Khartoum attended the latest court hearing on 15 June. We will continue to co-ordinate with other Embassies in Khartoum to ensure the international community is represented at the ongoing legal proceedings.