Ethiopia: Royal Family's Detention (Hansard, 19 June 1985)

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, we regret that our many appeals at ministerial level to the Ethiopian Government to release the detained members of the former Ethiopian Royal Family have so far been unsuccessful. We shall nevertheless continue to stress our concern at every opportunity.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that sympathetic reply. Would she not agree that given the present climate of world opinion and the help being given to Ethiopia, it is time to renew these appeals, and also to ask our allies to do so? Is it not also a fact that those detained have been charged with no offence apart from being members of the former Royal Family? Is it not also a fact that 10 of them are confined in one room? Among the many problems that exist in the world, is it not the case that they deserve our sympathy and our efforts, especially as a number of them were educated in this country?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, the Ethiopian Government can be in no doubt about the degree of concern felt in this country for those members of the Royal Family detained still without trial. The matter was raised by my honourable friend Mr. Rifkind when he spoke to the Ethiopian Foreign Minister in July last year. My right honourable friend Mr. Raison repeated our concern during his visit to Ethiopia in December, and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State raised it once again last March when he met the Ethiopian Foreign Minister in London. We have no information to suggest that the prisoners are being ill treated or indeed that they are in ill health. I understand, for example, that they have been given proper medical treatment when necessary.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, can my noble friend confirm that these people have been detained for all these years without trial? Is this not contrary to the general world understanding on human rights?

§ Baroness Young
Yes, my Lords, I can confirm that they have been detained without trial. That is one of the many reasons why we have expressed our concern to the Ethiopian authorities.

§ Lord Elwyn-Jones
My Lords, what has been the response of the Ethiopian Government to these proper and desired representations? In regard to human rights generally, is the noble Baroness able to throw any light on the failure to agree on rights accords under the 1975 Helsinki Agreement at a recent meeting? That is perhaps not directly relevant to the Question itself. If however the noble Baroness could throw light on it, it is important.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I understand that nine members of the former Royal Family were released from custody in an amnesty in September 1983. Indeed, one came to the United Kingdom for medical treatment and has subsequently been allowed to stay. 262 It is the other members of the former Royal Family who have been detained. The Helsinki Agreement applies in fact to East-West relations; but the general point about human rights of course stands.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, is the noble Baroness able to say whether any help can be offered in the way of asylum by the various countries that have made representations? Would this help the situation?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I think that we have taken every opportunity to make clear our concern about the situation. In the case of the one member of the former Royal Family who has been released, she is now in this country.

§ The Earl of Kimberley
My Lords, can my noble friend elaborate a little on the question put by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Elwyn-Jones? What has been the answer given to our Ministers by the Ethiopian Government?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, my noble friend must understand that we are talking about the nationals of another country in that country. The powers of the British Government in such a circumstance are therefore simply confined to expressing our concern. We have done so on every occasion. We hope that the Ethiopian Government will pay heed to what we have said and will release these members of the former Royal Family.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that we are most grateful for the constructive approach taken by various Ministers in the Government in continually drawing this to the attention of the Derg? Is she also aware that their imperviousness to these appeals addressed to them not only by the British but also by friends of the former Ethiopian Royal Family in many parts of the world shows that some further action is necessary? Will not the noble Baroness take the opportunity, with her right honourable friend, of raising this matter in the United Nations with a view to the appointment of a special rapporteur on Ethiopia who would look not only into the continued detention without trial of the relatives of the late Emperor but also into the vicious persecution of the Christian Churches, the assassination of Church leaders and the use of murder as a weapon against political opponents?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I note what the noble Lord has suggested. We shall raise this whole matter, and in doing so add to it the very real concern that has been expressed in your Lordships' House, when my right honourable friend meets the new Ethiopian ambassador. We recognise that the Ethiopian Government have made little effort to improve their human rights record or their relations with the West despite the aid that has been given. This is a fact.

§ Lord Kennet
My Lords, while the House recognises that the representations made to the Ethiopian Government relate to Ethiopian nationals, can the Minister of State go a little further in her answer to the question about the Ethiopian Government's response? Have they answered in any way the representations 263 made? Have they even acknowledged receipt of the representations made? Or is it as if they have been dropped down a bottomless well?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, the representations have been made at the highest level by Ministers who have been visiting Ethiopia or alternatively with the Ethiopian ambassador in London. So there is no question that they are unaware of the representations. What one wishes to see is a result from those representations.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, is the Minister aware that one of the Ethiopian princesses was a personal friend of mine when she lived in London? She was educated at Oxford and her two cousins, whom I met, were trained at two of our London teaching hospitals? Does she not agree that it is a great waste of intelligent women to be locked away in prison when they could be helping their country?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I think that all of us would agree. Not only is it a great waste but it is also a very tragic situation. We would wish to see it brought to an end as soon as possible.

§ Lord Annan
My Lords, why does not the noble Baroness's right honourable friend refuse to give the agrément to the new ambassador for Ethiopia until we get satisfaction on this point?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I note what the noble Lord, Lord Annan, has said on this matter.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, I should like to thank the noble Baroness for her interest and her sympathetic action. Perhaps I may urge her to follow the line suggested by my noble friend Lord Avebury, except to confine it to the single objective of getting these unfortunate people released.