Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court; and whether they consider that the proceedings of that Court are compatible with international human rights standards.

The Specialised Criminal Court came into operation in Saudi Arabia in 2008 to try cases related to security and terrorism. We support Saudi Arabia’s judicial reform programme, particularly greater judicial training. However our concerns about the Saudi justice system remain and we continue to raise the importance of adhering to international human rights law with the Saudi authorities.