Written question asked by Baroness Tonge (Non-affiliated) on Tuesday, 18 June 2019, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 July 2019. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Tuesday, 2 July 2019 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Lama Khater

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the arrest and imprisonment of the Palestinian journalist Lama Khater.

Answer: Whilst we are aware of this case, we have not made any specific representations to the Israeli authorities. The Government is committed to the promotion of media freedom and the protection of journalists, as an essential element of democracy and an important attribute of human rights. The former Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP, met leaders of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate in London on 4 July 2018 where they discussed the situation facing Palestinian journalists and the constraints on their work, while officials from the British Consulate in East Jerusalem and our Embassy in Tel Aviv hosted a roundtable in April this year with foreign journalists serving in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to discuss media freedom.

Secondary information