Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effect on freedom of religion or belief in Sudan as a result of the verdict in the recent case related to Reverend Hassan Abduraheem, Petr Jasek and Abdumonem Abdumawla in that country.

We are deeply concerned by the verdict in the case against Pastor Hassan Abduelraheen Kodi, Petr Jasek, and Abdulmonem Abdumawlla. We are aware that the defendants have the right to appeal. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum were present in court for the verdict, and together with our international partners, coordinated attendance at all hearings since their initial arrest. We have regularly raised our concerns over this case directly with the Government of Sudan, most recently on 22 January; and we will continue to do so as part of our ongoing human rights dialogue.

More widely, freedom of religion or belief in Sudan remains a concern. We continue to urge the Government of Sudan to uphold the commitments of the Interim Constitution of 2005, within which religious freedom is enshrined.