In the sanctions announced, the UK said it was placing travel bans and asset freezes on 10 politicians, officials and others responsible for gross human rights violations in Gambia, Pakistan, Russia and Venezuela.
The measures, introduced on Thursday – International Human Rights Day – are the third set of sanctions to be announced by the UK under its new independent human rights sanctions regime. The EU introduced its own regime of human rights sanctions this week.
Backbench MPs had this week pressed the Foreign Office minister Nigel Adams to impose sanctions on Chinese officials involved in arresting pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. He said the issue was under consideration.