Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights and Death Penalty

Tuesday 13 December 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Chris Bryant asked the Minister about representations made to Saudi Arabia regarding human rights violations and the death penalty.
  • The Minister stated that the UK opposes the death penalty universally and regularly raises concerns with Saudi authorities.
  • Drew Hendry questioned whether the UK should move away from Russian energy dependency without relying on other authoritarian regimes like Saudi Arabia.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP is concerned about the use of the death penalty and potential human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.

Question

Whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in Saudi Arabia on the use of the death penalty and potential human rights violations in that country.

Answer from David Rutley

Saudi Arabia remains an FCDO human rights priority country, particularly because of the use of the death penalty and restrictions on freedom of expression. We strongly oppose the death penalty in all countries and circumstances. We regularly raise our concerns with the Saudi authorities and will continue to do so. The Minister for the Middle East raised the death penalty and freedom of expression with the Saudi ambassador on 24 November.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer avoids providing specific recent representations or commitments beyond general opposition to the death penalty.

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Q2 Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP is concerned about the UK government's fear of speaking out against human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, citing a case involving alleged torture and death penalty threats.

Question

I am afraid that recently it feels as if the Government are frightened of saying boo to Saudi Arabia on human rights abuses. The Minister himself, only a few days ago, said that Hussein Abo al-Kheir had been abhorrently tortured by Saudi authorities. He withdrew the remark; as I understand it, the Saudi authorities asked the Foreign Office to withdraw that remark. The truth is that Hussein Abo al-Kheir has been tortured and he has been on death row since 2015. The Saudi Government executed 81 people on one day earlier this year and are intending to execute a large number more later this year. They have already reneged on all of their promises on ending the death penalty for non-violent crimes. Will the Minister please go back to Saudi Arabia and make it clear that this country abhors torture and the death penalty?

Answer from David Rutley

I corrected my answer to the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn) to clarify that those were allegations of torture, as I underline again today. That is consistent with the line I used in my opening remarks on this issue in the urgent question on 28 November. I also contacted the right hon. Gentleman to ensure that he was aware of the correction. Notwithstanding that, of course it is vital that we continue to raise these issues, as Lord Ahmad has done and will continue to do.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer avoids providing a clear commitment to explicitly state that torture and the death penalty are unacceptable.

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Q3 Drew Hendry SNP
Foreign Affairs Energy
Context

The MP is concerned about the UK's energy supply reliance on authoritarian regimes, citing undisclosed meetings between former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Saudi Arabian firms.

Question

I am sure the Minister would agree that, in moving away from any possible reliance on Russian energy supplies, the UK should not simply choose further dependency on a different authoritarian regime. It has been reported that the former Chancellor, the right hon. Member for Spelthorne (Kwasi Kwarteng), when he was Business Secretary, held undisclosed meetings with Saudi Arabian firms. Will the Minister tell us what was discussed—and if he cannot, why can he not?

Answer from David Rutley

I do not recognise those conversations that the hon. Gentleman refers to, but clearly the important thing is that we have access to the energy we need with allies that we trust and, over time, build our own energy security as well.

Not addressed: The answer avoids providing details about specific conversations or a reason for withholding this information.

How: Deflected To General Remarks On Energy Security Without Addressing The Question.

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