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 Cuban counterparts on the detention of Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo.

We are clear that all Cubans should have the right to protest peacefully, and that detention must not be used as a tool to restrict freedom of expression, assembly, and religion. The UK was one of the first countries to call for the Cuban people to be allowed to express their views freely and peacefully following the Cuban Government's response to demonstrations on 11 July.

We are concerned to hear reports that Pastor Rosales Fajardo has been maltreated while detained, and that the authorities may seek a 10-year prison sentence. We have raised our concerns over ongoing detentions directly with the Cuban Government, both in London and Havana.