Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Eritrea about the 21-year imprisonment of seven Christian pastors, and what steps they are taking to increase efforts for the release of those pastors.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

We continue to raise the issue of human rights with the Eritrean government, including on religious freedoms, both through our Embassy in Asmara and through multilateral fora. We advocate for the end of all discriminatory detentions based on religion or belief, as we have stated at the UN Human Rights Council, and call for all those unjustly incarcerated to be released. The UK's Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea raised human rights during her most recent visit to Eritrea in April 2025 and the UK supports the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, voting in favour of his mandate renewal in July 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with NATO allies following the announcement that the United States intends to phase out security assistance programmes for European countries bordering Russia.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK Government is aware of the Trump Administration’s intention to cut funding for the Baltic Security Initiative. Recent airspace violations in Estonia, Poland and Romania by Russia demonstrate that we must do all that we can to support our allies. That’s why NATO Allies agreed to increase their spending at this year’s Summit in The Hague. The UK’s commitment to NATO remains unshakeable.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Iran about the increasing targeting of religious minorities, including reports of unlawful deaths, arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances; and what steps they are taking to ensure protection for religious minorities across Iran.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The UK strongly condemns the repression of religious minorities in Iran. On 18 March, the UK highlighted the continued systematic targeting and repression of religious minorities at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). We were integral to the delivery of a UNHRC resolution on human rights in Iran 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 23 April, the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, hosted an event in Parliament on Freedom of Religion or Belief violations in Iran in partnership with Open Doors and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Our Ambassador in Iran and the Foreign Secretary continue to raise human rights directly with the Iranian government.

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.