Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the treatment of Christians in Iraq.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We remain gravely concerned by the appalling crimes committed by Daesh against all faiths in Iraq, including Christians, Mandeans, Yezidis and others, as well as the majority Muslim population. We are aware of the strength of feeling on this matter in parliament and in the UK.
I last discussed human rights issues with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari at the UK-Iraq annual bilateral Joint Commission on 12 October. There is a growing body of evidence that terrible crimes have been committed by Daesh in Iraq. That includes recent unverified UN reports of Daesh crimes against the citizens of Mosul and its surrounds as military operations to free the city and its people are taking place. We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister Abadi has made to inclusivity, to protecting all Iraqi citizens regardless of their faith, to investigate all allegations of human rights abuses and violations and to hold those responsible to account.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the treatment of Christians in Syria.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We follow the situation in Syria closely, including the situation for minorities. We recognise the situation is desperate for many communities across the country, including Christians. A number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the independent UN Commission of Inquiry have highlighted the dangers facing Christians and other minorities at the hands of Daesh.
We condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by Daesh against all civilians, including Christians and other minorities, as well as the majority Muslim population in Syria. Ultimately, the best way of safeguarding minority rights in the region is by defeating Daesh and establishing peace and stability in the region. The UK has been at the forefront of these efforts, and has a comprehensive strategy to deal with Daesh.
The UK believes that a transition away from the Asad regime is needed to bring about a sustainable peace in Syria which allows the protection of all Syrians, including minorities.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to enable Christians to stay in Syria.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK continues to work for a sustainable political settlement in Syria, based on transition away from the Asad regime, to create a state in which all groups in Syria's rich and diverse society can be safe.
We are a core member of the International Syria Support Group which has agreed that protecting the rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religious denomination, is fundamental. We continue to support the Syrian moderate opposition which includes representatives from religious and ethnic minority groups. Through Foreign and Commonwealth Office programmes we also support non-governmental efforts to promote dialogue between different ethnic and sectarian groups and education on tolerance, integration and pluralism.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of persecution of Muslims in Russia.
Answered by David Lidington
The Russian constitution provides for freedom of religion. However, Muslims have reported persistent difficulties in obtaining permission to build additional mosques. In Kaliningrad, lawyers representing parts of the 100,000 strong Muslim population have indicated that they will now take their case to secure land for the construction of a mosque to the European Court of Human Rights. In 2014, there continued to be widespread reports of harassment of Muslims in Russia, especially in the North Caucasus. Russia’s anti-extremism laws have also been criticised by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for their potential to be arbitrarily used against minority religious groups.
We have raised concerns about freedom of religion and belief in Russia through the EU. We will continue to monitor the impact of Russia’s use of “extremism” legislation on religious minorities.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of persecution of LGBT people in Russia.
Answered by David Lidington
We have strong concerns about Russia’s law banning the promotion of “non-traditional” sexual relations among minors, particularly its potential to legitimise homophobia and encourage violence against LGBT people. In September 2014, Russia’s Constitutional Court ruled that this law was not in breach of the Russian constitution. In December 2014, Human Rights Watch released a report documenting an increase in violence and harassment against LGBT people in Russia since the law was introduced in June 2013. The report claimed that anti-LGBT groups had used the law to justify campaigns of harassment and intimidation, including campaigns to get LGBT teachers fired from their jobs.
We have raised concerns about LGBT rights in Russia bilaterally at a number of levels, and through the EU, since the law banning the promotion of “non-traditional” sexual relations among minors was passed in June 2013. I raised concerns about the protection of LGBT people in Russia with the Russian Ambassador at our last meeting on 18 December.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of persecution of LGBT people in (a) China and (b) North Korea.
Answered by Lord Swire
Homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997 and removed from the official list of mental disorders in 2001. However, as there are no specific anti-discrimination laws protecting LGB&T people, and LGB&T relationships are not covered by family law, LGB&T people are frequently subject to unequal treatment, harassment and intimidation. LGB&T civil society groups frequently encounter pressure from the authorities, including being detained or otherwise prevented from running LGB&T advocacy events. However, social attitudes in China are changing. The same-sex marriage of a British diplomat and his partner at the UK Ambassador’s residence in Beijing in September 2014 led to a lively but largely supportive debate on social media.
Although there is no specific legislation outlawing homosexuality in North Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea authorities deny that LGB&T persons exist and same sex relationships are considered unacceptable. There is consequently neither legal nor practical protection for LGB&T rights.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of persecution of Christians in (a) China and (b) North Korea.
Answered by Lord Swire
Although Protestantism and Catholicism are state-sanctioned religions, we are concerned that practitioners continue to face restrictions on their religious rights. We are aware of reports which state that churches have been demolished, forcibly closed, or had their crosses removed, including in Zhejiang Province. Practitioners of house churches also continue to face harassment. We raised our concerns in detail during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2014, and continue to do so as part of our broader relationship.
According to authorities in the DPRK, there are a small number of state-controlled churches and some other state-sanctioned places of worship, including 500 house churches. We are unable to verify these statistics or to attest to the type of activity that takes places inside these house churches. However, there are many reports that people who are involved in religion outside these state-controlled organisations have been imprisoned for practising their beliefs. We regularly raise with the DPRK authorities our concerns about all restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, including reports of persecution of Christians.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of persecution of Jewish people in Russia.
Answered by David Lidington
The Russian constitution provides for freedom of religion and takes an official stand against antisemitism. In 2013, the Federation of Jewish Communities reported no official acts of antisemitism at the federal level. However, there have been reports of isolated cases of antisemitism by government officials, vandalism of Jewish facilities and the distribution of antsemitic literature. Annual nationalist “Russian Marches” have also included some anti-Semitic behaviour, such as the use of “banned symbols” by neo-Nazi groups.
We have raised concerns about freedom of religion and belief in Russia through the EU. The UK Government is committed to combating antisemitism wherever it is found and supports the efforts of EU partners to tackle racism in all its forms.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of persecution of Jewish people in (a) China and (b) North Korea.
Answered by Lord Swire
Whilst freedom of religion is stipulated in Article 36 of the Chinese Constitution, only five religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism) are officially recognised. All legal religious observance must be organised by state-sanctioned religious associations, under the strict control of the State Administration for Religions Affairs. There are many reports that Chinese citizens who are involved in any religious activity outside state-sanctioned organisations have been imprisoned for practicing their beliefs. We regularly raise our concerns with the Chinese authorities.
We are unaware of any reports of persecution of Jewish people. However, there are many reports that North Koreans who are involved in any religious activity outside state-controlled organisations have been imprisoned for practising their beliefs. We regularly raise our concerns with the DPRK authorities.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of persecution of Muslims in (a) China and (b) North Korea.
Answered by Lord Swire
Although Islam is a state-sanctioned religion in China, Muslims continue to face restrictions on their religious rights, particularly in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. British officials conduct a rhythm of regular monitoring visits to this region, and have observed restrictions on the celebration of Ramadan, restricted access to Mosques, and the discouraging of certain Islamic dress. We raised our concerns during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2014, and continue to do so as part of our broader relationship.
According to the authorities in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), there are a small number of state-sanctioned places of worship, although we are unaware of any facilities for practicing Muslims outside Diplomatic Missions. The majority of the DPRK’s small Muslim community are foreign nationals. We are unaware of any recent reports of persecution of Muslims. However, there are many reports that North Koreans who are involved in any religious activity outside of state-controlled organisations have been imprisoned for practising their beliefs. We regularly raise our concerns with the DPRK authorities.