Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Tony Lloyd (Labour), on Wednesday, 7 September 2022, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 7 members in total.

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Detention of MPs in Eswatini

That this House is concerned about the continued detention of Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, members of Parliament in the Southern African country of Eswatini, who have now been held for over a year on trumped up charges under the Suppression of Terrorism Act following pro-democracy demonstrations; notes with disappointment that King Mswati, Africa’s last absolute monarch, has repeatedly thwarted calls for reform and that according to Freedom House his Government has used increasingly repressive tactics to stifle pro-democracy activism, including arbitrary arrest, harassment, and assault by security officials; urges King Mswati to initiate a national political dialogue with members of the opposition and civil society leaders and for his Government to stop suppressing dissent and to release all human rights defenders currently being held; calls on the UK Government to support democratic reform and human rights defenders in that country, raise the cases of Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube with the relevant authorities, make a public statement pressing for their immediate and unconditional release, and consider imposing travel bans on King Mswati and his family until the MPs are released.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

363 

Session

2022-23

Other sponsors

Jonathan Edwards

Rachael Maskell

Chris Stephens

Ben Lake

Colum Eastwood

Subjects

Detainees Politicians Eswatini

Link

View this Early day motion on edm.parliament.uk