Sarah Champion – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Egyptian government on the prosecution of Azza Soliman, a women’s right lawyer; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of the case of Azza Soliman and concerned at the circumstances under which Ms Soliman became a defendant. We have raised Ms Soliman’s case with the Egyptian Ambassador in London, most recently on 23 April 2015. In September 2015, FCO officials held meetings in both London and Cairo with Ms Soliman, to discuss her case. We have also discussed this case with our partners in Cairo and have been represented at the trial hearings through the EU. We will continue to raise our concerns with Egyptian Government.