Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Foreign Office Minister Ellwood on escalated tensions in Middle East
Minister for the Middle East, Tobias Ellwood, comments on escalated tensions in the Middle East.
I am deeply disturbed by the escalation in tensions in the last 24 hours in the Middle East.
The UK is firmly opposed to the death penalty. We have stressed this to the Saudi authorities and also expressed our disappointment at the mass executions.
We have discussed with the authorities in Riyadh, and expect that Ali Al-Nimr and others who were convicted as juveniles will not be executed. The UK will continue to raise these cases with the Saudi authorities.
We are deeply concerned to hear of the attack yesterday on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. It is essential that diplomatic missions are properly protected and respected.
There are those who will wish to exploit the situation and raise sectarian tensions higher. This would be against the wishes of the vast majority of those in the region. I urge all parties in the region to show restraint and responsibility.
