Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UN Committee against Torture’s concluding observations on Bahrain issued on 28 November (CAT/C/BHR/CO/4); and what assessment they have made of the implications of those findings for any UK training or assistance provided to institutions in Bahrain.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain. We have noted the observations issued on 28 November, and we continue to encourage all countries to engage constructively with UN mechanisms.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of allegations that prisoners in Bahrain have been subject to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 15 July in response to Question HL8922, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The UK regularly engages with the Government of Bahrain and, where appropriate, the independent oversight bodies on a range of human rights and governance matters - those with broader societal impact and individual cases. This has included the cases of Abduljalil al-Singace and Hasan Mushaima. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Bahrain on allegations relating to (a) human rights violations, (b) arbitrary arrest, (c) prolonged detention without a fair trial and (d) the alleged torture of children.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary last visited Bahrain in October 2024 where he met the Foreign Minister. The focus for that visit was de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East, and to meet UK personnel working in the region, underscoring our commitment to regional security and stability.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office encourages all countries, including Bahrain, to uphold international human rights obligations. Our close and long-standing relationship with Bahrain continues to allow for a genuine and open dialogue by Ministers and officials in a range of areas, including human rights, on which we also recognise a number of positive steps taken by the Government of Bahrain over recent years.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, concerning the case of Dominic Miles, a British national imprisoned in Bahrain since 2022, in light of an alleged failure of due process and the Government's statement in August 2023 that the ombudsman suspects torture; what assessment they have made of his case; what representations have been made on his behalf and to which Bahraini authorities over the past two years; and when the last such representation was made.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Supporting the welfare of British nationals detained overseas is a priority for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and we take all allegations of torture and mistreatment extremely seriously. When such concerns are raised, with the individual's consent, we will raise these with the relevant authorities. We are unable to provide comment on the detail of individual consular cases in line with relevant UK data protection legislation, which can be found on the attached PDF.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Human Rights Watch on 6 December that 13 people have been unfairly imprisoned in Bahrain, and what are the implications for the funding under the Gulf Strategy Fund given to Bahraini bodies which are accused of committing torture and whitewashing human rights abuses.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The FCDO follows matters that relate to human rights in Bahrain closely, is aware of reporting about the court proceedings referenced and continues to encourage allegations of torture or mistreatment to be reported to the appropriate national oversight body. We have previously been assured in other cases (where individuals linked to one charge are tried together) that an individual's right to separate legal representation of their choice is guaranteed by law. We remain committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain, including through the Gulf Strategy Fund, itself subject to robust oversight measures and rigorous risk assessments to ensure projects are effective, consistent with our values and in line with our human rights obligations.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy entitled Bahrain convicts 13 political prisoners in a mass trial amid credible torture allegations, published on 28 September 2023, whether his Department holds information on alleged use of (a) mass trials and (b) torture in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley
The FCDO is aware of reporting about the court proceedings referenced in the press release. We have previously been assured in other cases (where individuals linked to one charge are tried together) that an individual's right to separate legal representation of their choice is guaranteed by law. We continue to encourage allegations of torture or mistreatment to be reported to the appropriate national oversight body whose duty it is to carry out full and independent investigations into such claims.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will meet with Bahraini victims of torture.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
His Majesty’s Government does not comment on individual cases but unhesitatingly condemns all forms of torture worldwide.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps in response to allegations of torture against Prince Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain.
Answered by David Rutley
We continue to follow matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain closely and are aware of these historic allegations. The allegations were previously brought to the attention of the Metropolitan Police Service, which concluded that there was insufficient evidence to proceed. We take allegations or issues about torture and mistreatment very seriously and urge all allegations to be reported to the appropriate national oversight body whose duty it is to carry out full and independent investigations. We continue to encourage the oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims.
Asked by: Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Human Rights Watch "The Court is Satisfied with the Confession”: Bahrain Death Sentences Follow Torture, Sham Trials, published on 10 October; and what representations they will make to the government of Bahrain concerning implementing its recommendations.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government has taken note of the report in question. Ministers and officials continue to reiterate the UK's opposition to use of the death penalty with senior members of the Bahraini Government. The UK's position on the use of the death penalty is longstanding and clear. The Government of Bahrain is fully aware of our position.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations in the report by Human Rights Watch and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy The Court is Satisfied with the Confession, published on 10 October, that they (1) urge the government of Bahrain to implement the report’s recommendations, (2) suspend funding, support, technical assistance and training for security services and the judiciary until Bahrain enacts and complies with the recommendations in the report, and (3) urge the government of Bahrain to halt all executions and investigate torture allegations and violations of the right to a fair trial.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK government uses a range of reports and analyses and is aware of these cases. The UK's long-standing policy is to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, in all countries, as a matter of principle, which we have made clear on a regular basis to the Government of Bahrain.