Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of recent attacks on Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to (a) protect the Christian community and (b) promote religious freedom in the country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn the horrifying attacks by Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We have raised the actions of the ADF in the UN repeatedly and have sanctioned them under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act. UK Ministers and senior officials, including our Ambassador in Kinshasa, regularly raise the importance of protecting civilians with the Government of DRC. We continue to remind all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and stress that those who have committed human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable. The UK Special Envoy for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) plays a critical role in promoting FoRB, through global diplomatic engagement, our engagement in multilateral fora, and UK and programme funding. The UK will continue to work through UN bodies and other multilateral fora to promote and protect these rights in the DRC.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners on Nigeria’s ongoing use of blasphemy legislation; and what steps she is taking to ensure religious freedom is promoted in the country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Dialogue on human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), remains a vital part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria, and the UK Government is concerned by the use of blasphemy laws that undermine human rights including FoRB in Nigeria.
Our High Commission in Abuja regularly engages with the Nigerian Government and religious leaders on freedom of religion and belief, including on blasphemy cases. Additionally, the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) is building capacity in Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against all civilian communities, including religious communities.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts to ensure the protection of (a) Yazidis, (b) Christians and (c) other religious and ethnic minority groups in Iraq; and what steps she is taking to ensure aid reaches displaced communities in northern Iraq.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting displaced communities in northern Iraq. We fund quick impact projects and livelihood support activities through the International Organisation for Migration and, through our Building Peace and Stability in Iraq programme, fund the office of the UN Durable Solutions Adviser which leads the UN's strategic coordination efforts.
The UK champions freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. On 8 July, the Government publicly set out its approach to FoRB, providing a framework for UK engagement including for countries navigating the impact of conflict, both past and present, such as Iraq, including the Kurdistan region.
In July 2025, the former Minister for Human Rights and the UK Special Envoy for FoRB met with Mir Hazem Tahsin Beg, the Prince of the Yazidis. We also raise threats to minority faith communities in regular engagements with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and in multilateral fora. For example, at Iraq's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in June, we recommended that Iraq upholds the right for minorities to freely practice their religion or belief, without fear of persecution.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the protection of the Christian communities in (a) Gaza, (b) the Occupied Palestinian Territories and (c) East Jerusalem.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UK officials continue to meet with Church leaders in Jerusalem, and we carefully monitor reports of activity impacting freedom of religion or belief in Gaza and the West Bank. In July, our Consul General to Jerusalem visited Taybeh in the West Bank with church leaders and international partners to express solidarity with the local community following attacks by settlers on their community.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Qatar about the sentencing of the chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is, Remy Rowhani; and what steps they are taking to ensure the promotion of religious freedom in that country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK encourages all states to uphold their international human rights obligations. As part of Qatar's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in November 2024, the UK called on Qatar to adopt legislation to ensure non-discrimination on the grounds of disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or belief.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the protection of minority Christian communities in Iraq, following the attack on Assyrian Christians in Duhok on 1 April.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government was deeply concerned by this attack. We champion freedom of religion or belief for all and remain firmly committed to protecting ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, including Christian communities. The UK regularly raises threats to minority faith communities when engaging with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and in multilateral fora. At Iraq's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in June, we recommended that Iraq upholds the right for minorities to freely practice their religion or belief, without fear of persecution. Our programme work supports civil society groups advocating for minority rights and promotes local cohesion. We continue to press for justice and accountability for all communities affected by violence and are working with international partners to ensure the safety and dignity of minority groups across Iraq.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Libya about recent attacks on Christian communities, including kidnapping and murder, and what steps they are taking to ensure religious freedom is promoted in that country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I am deeply concerned about the scale of violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally, including in Libya. The recent sentencing of individuals for exercising their right to freedom of thought is particularly troubling. No one should live in fear because of their beliefs. The UK urges Libyan authorities to uphold due process and fair trial standards for all. We continue to support the UN-facilitated process for an inclusive political settlement and engage Libyan authorities and international partners to promote human rights. We also raise FoRB concerns through the UN, G7, and Article 18 Alliance.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Iranian counterpart on (a) the illegal obtention of (i) property and (ii) assets of and (b) other attacks on the Baha’i community; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the (a) protection of that community and (b) promotion of religious freedom in that country.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our Ambassador in Iran and the former Foreign Secretary raised have human rights directly with the Iranian government and we regularly highlight Iran's repression of Baha'is in multilateral fora, including at the UN Human Rights Council in March. We were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to investigate a wider breadth of violations, and to establish the facts, circumstances and structural causes of such violations, including discrimination on grounds of religion or belief. On 3 July, the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, met Baha'i International Community UN Representative, Simin Fahandej, to discuss the current and historic repression of Baha'is in Iran, and on 8 July, the Special Envoy delivered a speech where he highlighted Baha'is acute vulnerability to scapegoating, incitement and threats of violence from authorities.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of attacks against churches in Vietnam; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help (a) ensure the protection of the Christian community and (b) promote religious freedom in that country.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief, David Smith MP, closely follows events in Vietnam including restrictions of the freedom for religion and belief of Christians. We are aware of credible reports indicating that members of unregistered religious groups continue to face harassment and intimidation. The UK raises concerns about freedom of religion or belief with the Vietnamese authorities, both bilaterally through the annual UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue and through multilateral forums including Vietnam's 2024 Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council. Our Embassy in Hanoi engages with civil society and the diplomatic community to monitor developments and support dialogue on religious freedom. We continue to urge the Vietnamese government to uphold its international human rights obligations, including those under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to ensure that all individuals, including members of the Christian community, can practise their faith freely and without fear of persecution.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the government in Myanmar on the destruction of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Kachin State in March 2025; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure that (a) places of worship are protected and (b) religious freedom is promoted in that country.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned by reports of attacks on places of worship, including the destruction of St Patrick's Cathedral in Kachin State. We remain committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all communities in Myanmar, and consistently raise concerns about the treatment of religious minorities and their places of worship in international fora. In April this year, the UK co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar, calling for the military to fully respect and protect the human rights of all persons in Myanmar, including religious minorities.