HL Deb 04 February 1998 vol 585 c113WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in accordance with the Mission Statement of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Secretary's speech "Human Rights into a New Century", they will urge the Government of Bahrain to release Sheikh Abdul Amir Al Jamri, who has now been held in custody for two years without being charged or tried, and to enter into discussions with the Committee for Popular Petition on their demands for the restoration of the 1973 constitution and the 1974 Parliament, as requested in the Committee's letter of 18 January. [HL247]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

As I told the noble Lord in my Answer of 28 January, we have discussed Sheikh Al Jamri's continuing detention without charge with the Bahrainis authorities on a number of occasions. We have called on them to release or charge all those held in detention. We will continue to do so. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary raised the issue of a dialogue between the Bahraini authorities and the Committee for Popular Petition with the Crown Prince and Foreign Minister of Bahrain during their meeting on 28 January.