Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights violations against Shia Muslims in Azerbaijan, as detailed in the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s report Country Update: Azerbaijan, published on 5 December.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government recognises that there are ongoing challenges in Azerbaijan in relation to Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB), particularly for devout Muslims. The Minister for Europe raised human rights with Foreign Minister Bayramov during his visit to Baku on 22 November. On 14 November during Azerbaijan's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council the UK reiterated our concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly and called on Azerbaijan to improve human rights protections for all.
Mentions:
1: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) Human rights and freedom of religious belief march hand in hand; if one is taken away so is the other - Speech Link
2: Leo Docherty (Con - Aldershot) On the preservation of religious sites, both Armenia and Azerbaijan are responsible for ensuring that - Speech Link
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Azerbaijan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Embassy in Baku is able to have open discussions about religious freedom with Government representatives and has been in contact with Grand Mufti, the spiritual leader for both the Sunni and Shia communities in Azerbaijan, who occasionally meets with the Leader of the Armenian Church.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with his Azerbaijani counterpart on (a) the preservation of Christian religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, (b) regulations on religious practice and (c) other protections for Christians from repression and intimidation in that country.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We are clear that the preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches and other sites of religious significance in both Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of their long-running conflict. The UK is committed to standing up for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally. British Embassies in Yerevan and Baku have raised the need to protect such sites with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments consistently and at the most senior levels.
Mentions:
1: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) freedom forum this year, 2024.The memorandum states:“The Kosovo Religious Freedom Forum seeks to address - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Leo Docherty (Con - Aldershot) We encourage Azerbaijan to continue co-operation in that regard. - Speech Link
2: David Duguid (Con - Banff and Buchan) his answer, and I refer the House to my role as vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Azerbaijan - Speech Link
3: David Rutley (Con - Macclesfield) Notwithstanding the challenges in Israel and Gaza, protecting freedom of religion or belief, including - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Roberts of Belgravia (Con - Life peer) Does he agree that, for centuries, freedom of the press has essentially meant freedom from the control - Speech Link
2: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Con - Life peer) Armenia is a country that has lost a war, does not enjoy normalised relations with Turkey or Azerbaijan - Speech Link
3: Lord Leigh of Hurley (Con - Life peer) In this new state, will the rights of gays, women, minorities and those with other religious practices - Speech Link
4: Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton (Con - Life peer) He mentioned Fiona Bruce and the great job she does as the Prime Minister’s envoy on religious freedom - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Vicky Ford (Con - Chelmsford) When a woman or girl has access to contraception, she has freedom. - Speech Link
2: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) Violations and abuses of people’s human right to freedom of religion or belief are a driver of poverty - Speech Link
3: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) when it comes to assisting with the things that we need to do.As chair of the APPG for international freedom - Speech Link
4: Matthew Offord (Con - Hendon) In Azerbaijan, I saw at first hand the results of mine clearance. - Speech Link
5: Patrick Grady (SNP - Glasgow North) Member for Strangford spoke about how conflict affects freedom of religion and belief, and the hon. - Speech Link
Found: December 2022 21 UN Office of the Human Righ ts Commissioner, Press release, 7 August 2023 22 Freedom
Found: The UK and Global Freedom of Religion or Belief