To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent representations he has made to the Government of Nigeria in connection with the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu.

The UK Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances. We will continue to raise Mr Sharif-Aminu's case as he appeals his sentence. In April 2023, officials raised Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, and other blasphemy cases, with the Executive Secretary of Nigeria's National Human Rights Council. Most recently, in August 2023, the British High Commissioner handed over a letter from Fiona Bruce MP, the PM's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, on Yahaya Sharif-Aminu to the Kano State Governor and discussed the case with him. More broadly, we raise Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) and the rights of those accused of blasphemy with Nigeria bilaterally and in multilateral forums including at Nigeria's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in January.