Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise with his Colombian counterpart (a) the deteriorating health of many former combatant prisoners, (b) the reported human rights violations of prisoners, (c) the reported arbitrary transfers of prisoners and (d) the reported isolation of prisoners in that country which have taken place since its government’s pledges of November 2015 made following the prisoners’ hunger strike there.

Mr Hugo Swire

I am aware of the hunger strike by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) across 13 prisons in November over prison conditions, and recent Colombian media reports on the same issue.

I understand the Colombian government and the FARC are currently discussing end of conflict issues, which include prisoner rights. It would not be appropriate for the United Kingdom to interfere in matters under negotiation, not least as we near the 23 March deadline for talks to conclude.

The hon. Member will recall that our Embassy in Bogotá has closely followed the cases of specific Colombian prisoners, such as David Ravelo and Húber Ballesteros, discussing concerns with the Presidential advisor for human rights and the prisons authority.