Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Algerian authorities following reports of the arrest of members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light group.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. We regularly monitor the situation in Algeria for minority religious groups, including Ahmadis, and routinely meet stakeholders to better understand concerns. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, raised the ability of religious minorities to freely practice their faith with the Algerian authorities during her visit to Algiers in September 2022. Then-Minister for North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the case of the Ahmadis when he met the Minister of Religious Affairs in June 2022.