UK to appoint envoy for citizens detained abroad

BRITAIN is preparing to emulate the US by appointing an envoy tasked with freeing citizens arbitrarily detained abroad, as it faces calls to do more to bring them home.

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High-profile cases like jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and imprisoned Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai have spotlighted the plight of Britons held in jails overseas.

The UK foreign ministry insists it continues to press such cases with governments, but relatives of detainees and human rights organisations complain of a lack of urgency and transparency.

“The government is committed to strengthening support for British nationals, including through the appointment of a new envoy,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer has said an “Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions” is expected to be appointed “before the summer”.

The government has not specified the terms of the role but it could be similar to America’s Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, a position created in 2015.

Unlike the US though, Britain does not take part in prisoner exchanges.