Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, published on 27 March 2017, finding that the charges brought against Duaa Alwadaei are related to Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei’s human rights activity in the UK.

We have been closely monitoring the case of Duaa Alwadaei who has been tried in absentia after failing to attend court on charges of assault. Officials from the British Embassy in Bahrain were present at the recent hearing. We understand that Mrs Alwadaei has the right to appeal the sentence. We have raised the case at a senior level with the Bahraini authorities. The Government of Bahrain has also released public statements on the case, with assurances that the legal case are not related to Mr Al Wadaei's activities. We understand that Mr Al Wadaei has been able to continue with his work.