Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken a investigation into the atrocities against the Yazidis; if so, what is the progress of that investigation; and, if so, what are the next steps further to those listed in the 2nd Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Accountability For Daesh Crimes: Government Response (HL Paper 121, Session 2024–25), including amending the International Criminal Court Act 2001 to include prosecutions for international crimes.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Securing accountability for the atrocities committed against the Yazidi people is a priority for the UK, and our Embassy in Iraq regularly engages the Yazidi community, the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to that end. In July 2025, the former Minister for Human Rights and the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief met with Mir Hazem Tahsin Beg, the Prince of the Yazidis, to understand the ongoing challenges faced by the community and what support the UK can provide.
As set out in the Government Response, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Act 2001 is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern, holding perpetrators to account, and achieving justice for victims, and the UK is a strong supporter of the ICC and its mission.
Where the UK does not have jurisdiction, we seek to build domestic capability, supporting partners to deliver justice and hold perpetrators to account. To that end, the UK is working closely with Iraq's National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation to ensure that evidence of crimes can be used effectively to deliver justice for all victims of Daesh. We also continue to push for the full implementation of the Yazidi Survivor law which is crucial to securing justice for survivors and helping them rebuild their lives.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the last Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment was conducted for Syria; how the escalation of violence affects that assessment; and what practical steps they are taking to address the escalation of violence, in particular violence targeting ethnic and religious minorities.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to engage with the Syrian Government and Syrian Democratic Forces, and regional and international partners, to press for an immediate end to hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a return to negotiations in support of a sustainable political agreement.
The Foreign Secretary conveyed these messages to Syrian Foreign Minister al Shaibani on 20 January, and underlined the importance of developing a clear plan to secure control of the detention facilities and camps, and ensure the protection of Kurdish rights. We also reiterated these points at the UN Security Council on 22 January.
While we are keeping the situation in Syria under close review, we do not publicly comment on the timings or content of specific Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessments.
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 situation in Syria, in particular the threat posed to ethnic and religious minorities in the country, following reports of the mass release of Daesh members.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to engage with the Syrian Government and Syrian Democratic Forces, and regional and international partners, to press for an immediate end to hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a return to negotiations in support of a sustainable political agreement.
The Foreign Secretary conveyed these messages to Syrian Foreign Minister al Shaibani on 20 January, and underlined the importance of developing a clear plan to secure control of the detention facilities and camps, and ensure the protection of Kurdish rights. We also reiterated these points at the UN Security Council on 22 January.
While we are keeping the situation in Syria under close review, we do not publicly comment on the timings or content of specific Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessments.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to reports of a mass release of Daesh members in Syria, what assessment they have made of whether any of those released have British citizenship or residency.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to engage with the Syrian Government and Syrian Democratic Forces, and regional and international partners, to press for an immediate end to hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a return to negotiations in support of a sustainable political agreement.
The Foreign Secretary conveyed these messages to Syrian Foreign Minister al Shaibani on 20 January, and underlined the importance of developing a clear plan to secure control of the detention facilities and camps, and ensure the protection of Kurdish rights. We also reiterated these points at the UN Security Council on 22 January.
While we are keeping the situation in Syria under close review, we do not publicly comment on the timings or content of specific Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessments.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 21 January (HL13311), whether they have formally lodged a statement at the United Nations and with China about a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in the case of Jimmy Lai; and if not, whether they intend to do so.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Following Beijing's imposition of the National Security Law (NSL) on Hong Kong, the UK declared China to be in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Joint Declaration. The UK raised concerns about the NSL and Joint Declaration during the 2020 UN Human Rights Council sessions. This government has repeatedly called for China to return to its commitments under the Joint Declaration, for the NSL to be repealed, and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it, including British national Jimmy Lai.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of released Daesh members with British citizenship or residency returning to the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the long-standing policy of successive UK Governments not to comment either on individual cases or operational intelligence.We are monitoring the situation in North-East Syria closely and working with partners, including the Global Coalition against Daesh, to mitigate shared national security risks.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the opening of criminal cases against 122 foreign mercenaries fighting with the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, what inquiries they have made to (1) ascertain whether any of them are British citizens or residents, and (2) explore whether they could be prosecuted in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is deeply concerned by the use of foreign mercenaries in the Sudan conflict, and we would urge anyone with information of UK nationals seeking to act as mercenaries or otherwise participate in the conflict to share that information with the police, who would then be able to make evidence-based and operationally-independent decisions about whether to investigate or charge any such individuals. There are a wide range of criminal and terrorism offences that can be used to prosecute returning foreign fighters, which carry the possibility of a sentence up to and including life imprisonment. Decisions on prosecutions are taken independently by the police and Crown Prosecution Service on a case-by-case basis.