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Written question asked by Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 24 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 28 April 2026. It was answered by Chris Elmore (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Central Asia: Christianity

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of attacks on female Christian converts in Central Asia.

Answer

The UK continues to champion Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, and we continue to recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside the persecution of other groups. We also recognise that women and girls may face heightened and overlapping risks of persecution or violence where religious discrimination intersects with gender-based inequality, including in contexts where women's rights and freedoms are systematically restricted, such as Afghanistan.

Last July, the UK Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, publicly set out the Government's approach to FoRB, providing a framework for UK engagement. Within this framework, we identified Afghanistan as one of ten focus countries for work on the issue. As part of this strategy, the UK continues to highlight FoRB violations on the international stage, through our position at the UN, G7, and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
129787
Session
2024-26
Related items
Afghanistan: Christianity
Friday, 5 June 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Christianity: Religious Freedom
Friday, 5 June 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Women Religious freedom Central Asia Christianity
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk