§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what inquiries officials at the British embassy in Bahrain have undertaken into the detention of Mr. Yasser A. Al-Sayegh; and if he will make a statement. [19017]
§ Dr. Liam FoxMr. Al-Sayegh has been in detention since 5 December 1996 for possessing and distributing illegal pamphlets. Mr. Al-Sayegh is a dual British-Bahraini national, living and working in Bahrain where he has a family. The Bahraini authorities do not recognise dual nationality and denied the British embassy consular access in February. The embassy has no jurisdiction to intervene in his case.