Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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162. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to support a matter concerning the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3366/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the case raised by the Deputy. My concerns regarding this case are twofold: firstly, this person has been convicted for activities that would be widely regarded here as the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of opinion and expression, and, secondly, due to the nature of the sentence, which included corporal punishment. Concerns about this case have been raised by the European Union on behalf of its Member States, including Ireland, with the Saudi authorities. They have also been conveyed directly to representatives of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Ireland by officials of my Department on a number of occasions.

The spokesperson of EU High Representative Mogherini issued a statement on this case in January 2015. This called on the Saudi authorities to suspend the flogging of this individual, a call which was echoed later in January by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

I have repeatedly expressed my hope that the Saudi Authorities will answer the High Commissioner’s call for this individual to be pardoned and for this harsh form of punishment to be urgently reviewed.