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.

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.