Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of continued reports of the imprisonment of Christians, increased restrictions on refugee churches, closure and destruction of other churches, and the ongoing bombing campaign against the Nuba region which has a large Christian community, what steps they are taking to ensure that the right to freedom of religion or belief is respected in Sudan.

Freedom of religion or belief in Sudan continues to be an area of deep concern to the British Government. Along with international partners, we regularly attend court cases on freedom of religion or belief and raise related cases with the Government of Sudan. Through our project work we also seek to support lawyers who take on cases addressing important human rights issues, such as freedom of religion. More broadly, we also continue highlight our concerns about the conflict in South Kordofan, most recently via a joint statement with our Troika partners on 27 May. We welcome the Government of Sudan’s announcement of a cessation of hostilities on 17 June and urge all sides to respect this.