Written questions, answers and statements

Eritrea: Religious Freedom

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Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN 290618, tabled on 25 September 2019

Question

Dr David Drew
Labour
Stroud
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of religious freedom and tolerance in Eritrea.

Answer

Andrew Stephenson
Conservative
Pendle
Commons

Answered on

3 October 2019

We are concerned by reports on the lack of religious freedom and tolerance in Eritrea. We raise human rights with the Government of Eritrea regularly, including religious freedoms. The former Minister for Africa raised our concerns with the Eritrean President's senior adviser in July, as did our Ambassador in Asmara with the same advisor in August. At the 41st session of the OHCHR Human Rights Council on 24 June to 12 July the UK reiterated calls for Eritrea to respect freedom of religion or belief.

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office