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Johanna Baxter

Johanna Baxter

Labour — Paisley and Renfrewshire South

Speaking in the House of Commons on 27 March 2025

Debate

Business of the House

Contribution

Last week, I was alerted to the fact that one of my constituents, Owen Haggerty, a serving Royal Navy officer, had been detained in a jail in Bahrain. I immediately made contact with colleagues in the relevant Departments, but much to my surprise, no one would engage with me to inform me of his welfare or the current status of his case. That was apparently because I did not have his explicit consent. He was sitting in a jail in Bahrain. I had his mother’s consent—she was also a constituent—and yet still nobody would speak to me. Over a week later, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office contacted me this morning to say that it now has Owen’s consent to talk to me about his case. I am very pleased that he has been granted a royal pardon by the King of Bahrain, but will the Leader of the House ensure that the FCDO works with me to arrange his urgent deportation back to this country, and that we avoid further delays in the future to MPs securing access to the information they need to support their constituents?
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