Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Deputy and other Members to recognise that there is a difficulty regarding this matter in so far as there is no definition of the term "human rights defender". I note that this individual's case is one that has been raised by Front Line Defenders, which is a highly respected NGO with which my Department works closely and whose bona fides I fully accept. As I outlined in my reply, my Department will monitor the ongoing developments in this case in conjunction with the EU delegation and as part of our broader engagement in support of the role of human rights defenders and the protection of civil society space.

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