Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office FCDO (previously FCO)

The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) seeking information about its engagement with the authorities in Dubai regarding the detention and imprisonment of a British citizen. The FCDO withheld the information falling within the scope of the request on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) (international relations) and 40(2) (personal data) of FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) and the public interest favours maintaining each of these exemptions.