British MPs accepted tens of thousands of pounds in hospitality from despotic regimes last year, an analysis of Parliament’s register of interest shows.

Politicians from across all the main parties registered a total of £172,561 worth of flights, hotels, and other similar gifts from countries widely considered “not free” in 2016.

The 53 separate payments in kind were typically for “fact-finding” missions arranged and funded by the host regimes. 41 junkets were accepted by Conservative MPs, seven by Labour MPs, four by SNP MPs, and one by a Liberal Democrat.

A total of eight separate countries with autocratic governments provided such gifts: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

The biggest single donor country was Qatar, an apparent sign of the country ramping up its lobbying and propaganda campaigns ahead of its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Middle East state, which is governed by sharia law, flogs women who have illicit sex and by law imprisons people who preach any religion other than Islam. It is governed by an absolute monarchy and has constitution based on sharia law.

The US State Department says foreign workers are routinely subject to forced labour in Qatar, sometimes including prostitution, having had their passports confiscated. Such labour is reportedly being used to construct stadia for the coming World Cup.

Close behind Qatar the second biggest donor country is Saudi Arabia. The British government has continued to sign off billions in arms sales to the autocratic petro-state despite widespread reports of that is committing war crimes in its military campaign in Yemen.

This week the High Court will hear a case brought by arms control campaigners calling for a halt to the arms sales to the regime. MPs on the Arms Export Control Committee were previously split on whether the Government should stop the sales..

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said: “MPs should not be taking hospitality from regimes with appalling human rights records. This is lobbying plain and simple. These despots aren’t paying for transport and flashy hotels because they’re nice people, they’re doing it because they want to win friends and buy influence.”

The Bahraini government reportedly used live ammunition to repress demonstrations (Getty) (Getty Images)

“At a time when UK bombs are creating a humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, it is time for a total overhaul in UK foreign policy, not for closer relationships with dictatorships and human rights abusers.”

Some MPs have previously defended going on such trips, stating that engagement with countries with poor records would help bring about political change.

Donations either came from branches of government or in two cases, organisations with very close links to their respective governments. Countries that were listed “not free” by US NGO Freedom House were considered not free for this analysis, which was conducted jointly by The Independent and Campaign Against the Arms Trade.

The Egyptian military regime locked up a number of al-Jazeera journalists, promping protests worldwide (AFP / Getty Images)

Donations from Saudi Arabia came from the country’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as did donations from Qatar and Bahrain. Donations from Egypt came from a mix of its ministry of foreign affairs and its Parliament.

Donations from Kazakhstan came directly from the country’s Government. Donations from Jordan came from the country’s parliament.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemen’s Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdom’s Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as “inciting people against the authorities”. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabia’s clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his ‘confession’. At Dawood’s trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

Donations from Azerbaijan came from the country’s embassy and an organisation called The European Azerbaijan Society, which is headed by the son of a powerful government minister.