Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Colombian counterpart on the killing of radio journalists Dilia Contreras and Leiner Montero in that country.

Colombia is a UK Human Rights Priority Country and UK ministers and senior officials regularly discuss security issues with the Colombian Government and in multilateral fora. Most recently, our Permanent Representative at the United Nations raised the need to ensure security for vulnerable communities affected by violence at the UN Security Council on 14 July. We look to the Colombian authorities to investigate fully and to take appropriate action against those responsible.

The UK has provided longstanding support through our Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programme to support at risk-Human Rights Defenders, social leaders and victims, and help tackle the root causes of the violence. We will continue to work closely with organisations such as the Foundation for Freedom of the Press (FLIP) and UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in support of human rights and media freedom.