The government has been accused of dropping its commitment to opposing the death penalty as Britain seeks re-election to a United Nations human rights body.
A policy statement by the Foreign Office minister Lady Anelay this week makes no mention of UK objections to the death penalty – a policy once hailed as a human rights priority for the government.
Posted on the eve of International Human Rights Day, the article presents the case for the UK’s re-election to the UN human rights council, a position it has held with the support of Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this year WikiLeaks documents detailed diplomatic exchanges and vote-trading deals between Riyadh and London dating back to 2013. Saudi Arabia, also elected to the UNHRC in 2013, has recently increased the number of executions it carries out.
Last month, Amnesty International warned that Saudi Arabia is planning to carry out 50 executions in a day. Among those thought to be at risk is Ali al-Nimr, who was only 17 when he was sentenced to death by crucifixion for participating in an illegal demonstration. Saudi Arabia has executed more than 150 people this year – its highest figure since 1995.
The human rights organisation Reprieve, which campaigns against the death penalty, said a consistent pattern of FCO statements had emerged. Maya Foa, the head of the death penalty team at Reprieve, said: “In the past few months we’ve seen the government steadily row back its commitment to human rights.
“Shamefully, this has included scrapping our commitment to end the death penalty, at a time when countries including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt are overseeing a surge in executions. The government should be using its seat on the human rights council to address these grave concerns – rather than skirting sensitive issues to spare the blushes of states like Saudi Arabia, where political prisoners face imminent beheading and crucifixion.”
Anelay’s formal declaration of the UK’s candidacy for the UN human rights council says: “Our pledges are grounded in UK priorities at home and abroad, and draw on a tradition of democratic and inclusive values: strengthening the protection of human rights in the UN’s work; translating the 2030 agenda on sustainable development into action, leaving no one behind; making a stand for freedom of religion or belief at a time when too many are persecuted for their beliefs; working to end violence against women and promoting their full participation and leadership in political and economic life; and promoting open societies and challenging the threats to civil society.”
An FCO spokeswoman said: “The UK government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and we continue to call on all states to abolish it. Our UN pledges reflect our enduring commitment to promoting universal human rights and our ongoing work to end the death penalty is intrinsic to this.”
The FCO insists that it regularly raises its human rights concerns with Saudi Arabian authorities, particularly over the death penalty.
