Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office FCDO (previously FCO)

The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) seeking information about consular support provided to a UK citizen sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo following a failed coup. The FCDO initially refused to confirm or deny whether it held any information but subsequently disclosed some information but withheld the remainder on the basis of sections 27(1)(a) and 27(2) (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 section 27(1)(a) and the public interest favour maintaining this exemption.