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Saudi Arabia: Freedom of Expression

Asked by Markus Campbell-SavoursLabourForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 2 April 2026UIN 122992

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Saudi counterpart on (a) freedom of expression, (b) the cases of arbitrarily detained journalists and (c) the recently reported arrest and detention of Mohamed El-Sayed.

Answered by Mr Hamish Falconer

The Government continues to monitor individual cases of concern in Saudi Arabia, and we regularly raise human rights with the Saudi authorities, including at ministerial level.

The UK is concerned over the arrests and continued detention of a number of individuals, particularly those detained for expressing their political views.

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