UK envoy warns that state hostage-taking on the rise

The UK's newly appointed hostage envoy, Alistair Burt, aims to forge international alliances to combat state hostage-taking. The special envoy for complex consular affairs warned that such incidents are on the rise, but stressed that collaboration among countries could help prevent them. Burt met with counterparts from the Five Eyes Group and Gulf states to strengthen the network of countries affected by state hostage-taking.

He expressed his desire to advance the international process and persuade the states engaging in these practices that it is not a successful approach. The UK plans to host a "core group" of hostage envoys from the Five Eyes alliance in the UK next year, with high-level representation to increase the meeting's prominence. Burt, who previously served as the UK's Minister for the Middle East, stated that his role would focus on supporting families of individuals detained arbitrarily or facing cruel treatment in prison, as well as advising the government on alternative solutions to secure their release.

A high-profile case mentioned was that of Craig and Lindsay Foreman, who were sentenced to 10 years in an Iranian prison for espionage, despite the couple and the UK government denying the accusations. Burt emphasized that the role should not replace the work of the government's consular services, who are already addressing these matters directly.