Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 February 2024.

Ambassador Neil Holland condemns repression in Russia and calls for a full and independent investigation of Alexei Navalny’s death.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Alexei Navalny was a fierce advocate for Russian democracy and a brave campaigner against corruption who demonstrated incredible courage throughout his life.

Russian Federal Security Service operatives poisoned him with Novichok in 2020. He was imprisoned for peaceful political activities and was sent to an Arctic penal colony. The conditions of his detention amounted to torture and ill-treatment. No-one should doubt the oppressive nature of the Russian system he faced.

His death is a tragedy, for his wife and family as well as for the people of Russia. His death must be investigated fully and transparently. Those in the Russian regime responsible for his death must be held to account.

To that end, the UK has sanctioned six individuals responsible for running the prison where Navalny was killed. The UK was the first country to impose such sanctions and had already designated 14 individuals following Mr Navalny’s poisoning in 2020. We have been clear in expressing our outrage at his death and summoned the Russian Ambassador on the day of Navalny’s death.

As Minister Trevelyan said at the Reinforced Permanent Council meeting last Friday, Mr Navalny’s death shows how the Russian regime silences those who speak out, acting in complete defiance of the OSCE principles and commitments to which Russia itself has subscribed, as well as Russia’s wider international obligations.

Alexei Navalny’s death is a tragic reminder of the harsh conditions facing political prisoners within Russia. Madam Chair, in this forum we have regularly raised the cases of others imprisoned on political grounds, including Vladimir Kara-Murza.

And just this week Oleg Orlov, co-chair of the Nobel Prize winning organisation Memorial, was sentenced to two and half years in prison for speaking out against Putin’s war. This is a further indictment of Russia’s appalling human rights record. We will continue to call for their immediate release.

Russia’s internal repression enables external aggression, as we have seen all too clearly in Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine.

Madam Chair,

When challenged to account for Mr Navalny’s death, Russian diplomats and officials have tried to claim that international scrutiny represents illegitimate interference in Russian internal affairs.

In this Council, I say plainly, we disagree. It is a founding OSCE principle that participating States hold one another to account for implementation of shared commitments including freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention, the right to a fair trial and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

In the Astana Commemorative Declaration, Heads of State and Government agreed that one State’s implementation of OSCE commitments is a matter of: “immediate and legitimate concern to all participating States”.

That means Mr Navalny’s death is a matter of immediate and legitimate concern to the countries represented in this room.

The UK will stand up for human rights and security in our region and globally. And we will continue to back the OSCE and its institutions in pursuit of them.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 February 2024.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, is visiting Southeast Asia 29 February-4 March with a focus on maritime security and strengthening the UK’s diplomatic network.

• Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, is visiting Southeast Asia to highlight UK commitments to maritime security and strengthen the UK’s global diplomatic network.
• The Minister set out how the UK is addressing global threats to maritime security in her pre-recorded keynote speech at the Regional Maritime Security Symposium in Bali.
• In Timor-Leste, the Minister will announce the UK’s intention to re-open a permanent diplomatic mission in Dili.

Global maritime security is under greater threat than ever, UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan today (29 February) told a UK-funded conference aimed at boosting vital collaboration between maritime countries in Southeast Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines.

Minister Trevelyan is visiting Indonesia from 28-29 February, the third UK ministerial visit within twelve months as the two countries celebrate their 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Following her visit to Indonesia the Minister will travel to Timor-Leste on 1 March, where alongside Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão she will announce the UK’s intention to re-open a permanent diplomatic mission in Dili, the Timorese capital. The decision builds on existing UK commitments to support Timor-Leste’s development, including the UK’s public backing for Timor-Leste’s accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

UK Minister for the Indo Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

The UK is committed to building stronger long-term partnerships in the Indo-Pacific to support maritime and economic security, using our global diplomatic network to support these relationships.

By sharing expertise, increasing maritime resilience, and looking to expand our diplomatic presence to Timor-Leste, the UK is working to safeguard long-term global security and prosperity.

British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Dominic Jermey, said:

As we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Indonesia, we remain committed to strengthening our partnership with Indonesia to support maritime and regional security.

I first established the UK Mission to the UN Transitional Administration to East Timor twenty-four years ago, and I am proud that the UK will now look to re-open a permanent presence in Timor-Leste. The UK has become home to the largest Timorese overseas diaspora, and our countries have long been friends. We will support Timor-Leste to continue developing as a stable and prosperous nation.

The Bali Regional Maritime Security Symposium is a week-long event (26 Feb-1 March 2024) delivered and funded by the UK government. It aims to improve collaboration in a range of areas, from maritime law (UNCLOS), maritime domain awareness, port security, the ASEAN Maritime Outlook, through to illegal unreported and unregulated fishing and climate security.

The Symposium includes participants from ASEAN governments, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Brunei Darussalam.  The Symposium is also joined by observers from countries including the US, Australia, Japan Canada and France.

Concluding her visit to Southeast Asia, Minister Trevelyan will visit Cambodia from 2-4 March, where she will meet with senior government officials, non-governmental organisations, British businesses, and promote recently launched UK educational institutions in Cambodia.

Notes to editors

• The UK and Indonesia began formal diplomatic relations on 19 December 1949 and will celebrate 75 years of the relationship during 2024.
• The British Embassy Jakarta in Indonesia has been responsible for developing and maintaining ties with Timor-Leste since 2006, when the UK Embassy in Dili was closed. Further details on the re-opening of the Embassy will be announced in due course.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 February 2024.

Ambassador Holland calls on Russia to release all individuals arbitrarily detained in Crimea, the temporarily controlled territories, and those transferred to Russia. He notes that Russia’s actions may be in breach of the Geneva Conventions, constituting war crimes.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you and the Minister for chairing last week’s Reinforced Permanent Council which was an important demonstration of overwhelming support for Ukraine.

10 years ago on 20 February 2014, Russia began its illegal annexation of Crimea, paving the way to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Monday marked the Day of Resistance to Occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol – the democratic spirit of this day still rings true in Ukraine. The UK will never recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, or of any Ukrainian territory.

Since 2014, Crimea has been used to further Russia’s war effort, including as a destination for illegally detained Ukrainian civilians. Many of them have been transferred to detention centres on the peninsula, and sometimes to the Russian Federation. Crimean Tatars continue to endure a ruthless campaign of persecution simply for existing in their homeland. Many who are legitimately politically active have been arrested and labelled as ‘extremists’.

As well as in Crimea, the number of Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war being held in the temporarily controlled territories and in the Russian Federation continues to rise. Their families do not know where they are or when they will return. There is no way to monitor the presence of these civilians and no mechanism to facilitate their release.

There are also widespread reports of human rights abuses and violations committed against prisoners of war and civilian detainees by Russian authorities – including torture, sexual violence and summary executions. Even within the last week Ukrainian authorities have reported several cases of their soldiers being executed by Russian forces in Avdiivka and Bakhmut.

Yesterday at an event hosted by the Ukrainian delegation, we heard from a Ukrainian prisoner of war, who was held at Volnovakha Colony No.120, in the temporarily controlled territory of the Donetsk oblast. They detailed horrendous conditions, including lack of access to medical treatment, food, and water, as well as being subjected to hours of torture.

Russia must also release all individuals arbitrarily detained in Crimea, the temporarily controlled territories, as well as those who have been transferred to Russia. Russia’s actions may be in clear and serious breach of the Geneva Conventions, constituting war crimes. We also call on Russia to uphold international humanitarian law and ensure the dignified and humane treatment of those detained. Russia must allow access for international humanitarian and human rights organisations. Only through this access can those responsible for Russia’s systematic campaign of human rights violations be held to account.

Madam Chair. We remain extremely concerned for the welfare of our three OSCE colleagues of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM). They have been wrongly held by the Russian authorities for over 700 days. There is absolutely no justification for their detention. They and their SMM colleagues were simply performing their official duties, duties mandated by all participating States of the OSCE. They must be released and allowed to go home. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 February 2024.

Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner – oral update on: Occupied Palestinian Territories. Delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador Rita French.

High Commissioner, thank you for your report and update.

On 7 October, Israel suffered the worst terror attack in its history at the hands of Hamas.

In Gaza, Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian catastrophe.

We need to avert this. We need the fighting to stop now.

That is why we are calling for an immediate cessation – to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire with no return to fighting.

There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support.

We have trebled humanitarian aid in Gaza to over 60 million pounds sterling including a further £4.25 million support for vulnerable women and girls.

As the occupying power, Israel has to make sure that humanitarian aid—including food, water and shelter—is available to civilians in Gaza.

The impact of IDF operations on the civilian population is deeply concerning. Already, too many civilians have been killed. International Humanitarian Law must be respected by all parties and civilians must be protected.

Mr President, we are committed to improving the lives of all Palestinians across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The United Kingdom continues to work intensively in support of a two-state solution that guarantees: security and stability for Israeli and Palestinian people; and two secure and sovereign states – Israel and Palestine.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 February 2024.

The UK’s Statement for Enhanced ID on Human Rights in Eritrea, delivered at the UN Human Rights Council.

Thank you Mr Vice-President,

The UK thanks the speakers for their interventions, and we share their concerns, including on Eritrea’s continued policy of indefinite national service, which affects the lives of thousands, and is the reason many young Eritreans give for leaving their country. Eritrea should take steps to regularise the duration for national service and increase the exemptions to it.

Mr Vice-President,

We call again on the Government to fully respect the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, of religion or belief, and of peaceful assembly and association.  All those arbitrarily detained or held incommunicado in Eritrea must be released, including those detained solely based on their religion or belief.

We regret that the human rights situation in Eritrea is not improving.  We again call on Eritrea to re-engage with the international community, work with this Council and its mandate holders, implement fully its accepted UPR recommendations, and open itself to support and assistance, so progress toward full respect for human rights can start to be made.

A free and open society is the bedrock of stability and prosperity. The UK again restates our offer to engage with the government of Eritrea, in the hope that a better human rights situation can in turn deliver better economic opportunities for the people of Eritrea, particularly younger people.

Finally, Mr Vice-President,

We would like to ask the panellists for their assessment of whether any progress has been made or could possibly be made to hold perpetrators of human rights violations to account.

Thank you.