§ 8. Sir G. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the governors of the BBC and the directors ofThe Guardianconcerning Mr. Peter Niesewand.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeOfficials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been in touch with both the BBC and The Guardian about this case.
I warmly welcome the fact that the Rhodesian authorities have now released Mr. Niesewand so that he has been able to come to this country.
§ Sir G. NabarroI share the joy concerning Mr. Niesewand's release, but cannot my right hon. Friend take matters a little further by probing the whole of the background of this case in an effort to ascertain whether Mr. Niesewand's real fault, which was secreted by the Rhodesians, was that he transmitted information concerning sanction busting and the matter of the three Boeings illicitly smuggled into Rhodesia? What action does the Foreign Secretary, as initiator of sanctions against Rhodesia, propose to take in that matter?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeNone. The case of Mr. Niesewand has been examined by the courts in Rhodesia. Happily, he is free, and I should have thought it would be better to rest at that.
Mr. CalaghanAs it is clear that it has been the force of world opinion and public opinion in this country which has procured the release of Mr. Niesewand— [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] As it is clear that this was the only way in which it could be done, cannot the same force of opinion be brought to bear in connection with the Africans who are detained and about whom there has not been similar publicity, but who are just as innocent of the crimes similar to those of which Mr. Niesewand was convicted? Will the Foreign Secretary renew the representations he has made before and through him, may we ask the media whether they will give as much publicity to these other cases as they did to that of Mr. Niesewand?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThe right hon. Gentleman's comments in the latter part of his question are very much to the point. I have made representations— and I shall continue to do so—that when people are detained they should be tried.
§ Mr. WallDoes not the release of Mr. Niesewand illustrate the freedom and impartiality of Rhodesian courts— [Interruption.] Is it not strange that there has been such a furore about Mr. Niesewand, yet so little concern about the fate of Mr. Hawkesworth, who was captured by African guerrillas, who is a British subject and who, as far as we know, has been in their hands for several months? What is my right hon. Friend doing to secure his release?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeWe do not know exactly where Mr. Hawkesworth is. He is not in Rhodesia, but he is, we think, in some other African country. We are trying to obtain information as to his whereabouts.
§ Mr. MaclennanIs the Foreign Secretary aware that the agreement he reached with Mr. Smith for the review of those in detention is wholly inadequate to the present situation, in that it provides for no active British participation whatever and relies upon a Rhodesian tribunal? Will he therefore take that part of his 476 agreement with Mr. Smith off the negotiating table and insist that the review be carried out with the full participation of British judges?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThe hon. Member is not quite right. If I remember rightly, under the 1971 terms there was a proposal that certain detainees —over 30 of them—should be released immediately and that the cases of the rest should be considered by a tribunal at which there would be a British observer.