To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the decision of the Specialised Criminal Court in Sana'a to sentence Mr Hamed bin Haydara to death by public execution because of his religious beliefs; and if he will make a statement.
Answered on
29 January 2018
As the Minister for Europe and the Americas said in his response to the urgent question on this issue on 11 January, we strongly condemn Mr bin Haydara's death sentence, and the continued persecution of Baha'is in Yemen for their religious beliefs. We were informed of Mr bin Haydara's sentence on 2 January, via the Baha'i community in London, and I met with the leader of the Baha'i community on 25 January. We continue to work closely with our partners, including the European Union, to raise this issue directly with the de facto authorities in Sana'a, and have sought to raise the profile of Mr bin Haydara's situation through public diplomacy.