Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Four times David Cameron gave warm welcomes to leaders of countries with questionable human rights records

'It's an opportunity for two countries, tied by history, people and values, to work together to overcome the biggest challenges of our age,' said Mr Cameron

Serina Sandhu
Thursday 12 November 2015 11:30 GMT
Comments
David Cameron has recently met with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Egypt, China and Israel
David Cameron has recently met with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Egypt, China and Israel

Shaking hands in front of 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister David Cameron has welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to London in an effort to strengthen ties between the UK and India.

"It's an opportunity for two countries, tied by history, people and values, to work together to overcome the biggest challenges of our age. Prime Minister Modi and I intend to grab that opportunity with both hands," he said.

But Mr Modi's visit comes amid concerns over freedom of expression in India and the country's human rights record, handling of sexual violence against women and alleged religious persecution.

It is not the first time David Cameron’s meetings with world leaders have been met with condemnation from critics who have questioned the UK’s dealings with countries that hold poor human rights records.

5 November - Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi

Cameron with... Abdel Fatah al-Sisi

Mr Cameron’s invitation for Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to visit the UK was strongly condemned by many including human rights groups and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Although the visit had been organised for the two nations to discuss foreign policy issues and security issues, Mr Corbyn said the invitation showed “contempt for human and democratic rights and threatens, rather than protects, Britain’s national security”.

In a letter, the Labour leader said bolstering “with military support the coup leader who overthrew a democratically elected president in 2013 and has presided over the killing and jailing of many thousands since makes a mockery of government claims to be promoting peace and justice in the region”.

3 November - Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev

Cameron with... Nursultan Nazarbayev


During David Cameron’s meeting with Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev, the pair discussed foreign policy and the threat of Isis. They also reportedly signed trade deals worth £3 billion.

But Human Rights Watch called Kazakhstan “a country of quiet repression” where the government “cracked down” on its critics. The group said the country needed to be held to account for its human rights commitments.

21 October - Chinese President Xi Jinping

Cameron with... Xi Jinping

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the UK in October, a deal was struck to build a nuclear power station in Britain.

But many questioned the decision to do business with China due to its human rights record. During a press conference, Mr Cameron said the UK did not have to choose between having “a strong relationship with China, which is good for business investment and growth” and discussing the issue of human rights.

President Xi Jinping said: "Coming to the human rights issue… China attaches great importance to human rights… We have found a path of human rights development suited to China’s national conditions.”

10 September - Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu

Cameron with... Benjamin Netanyahu

During President Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UK in September to discuss Syria and the nuclear deal in Iran, protesters urged UK authorities to arrest him over the Israeli government’s alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Allan Hogarth, head of policy and government affairs at Amnesty International UK, said UK ministers needed to urge Mr Netanyahu to lift the blockage on Gaza which included bans on the import and export of food and fuel.

“David Cameron should be direct with Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him that Gaza’s suffering is unacceptable and must now end. Israel has an obligation to end its collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population and completely lifting the blockade is the right thing to do.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in