Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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27. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recent executions carried out by the Jordanian Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8304/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Ireland, like our EU partners, has a strong and unequivocal opposition to the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances and accordingly seeks its universal abolition. We believe that its abolition would contribute to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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28. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions his Department has taken to address the persecution of Christians in the world; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8233/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Ireland condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who are the victims. Ireland is deeply concerned by the persecution of Christians.

I am deeply shocked by recent reports of the brutal killing of Coptic Christians in Libya by ISIS and the kidnapping of 150 Assyrian Christians in eastern Syria. These are monstrous acts beyond comprehension, which must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. They are also savage attacks on minority communities and on the values of tolerance and pluralism which underpin freedom of religion or belief. Ireland has repeatedly recalled the duty of States to protect vulnerable minorities in the Middle East, including Christian communities. I have reiterated that call and will be raising this with my EU colleagues at the earliest opportunity. The situation is particularly difficult, of course, in areas where the authority of the state has effectively collapsed.

Ireland attaches great importance to combating all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred. We firmly believe in tolerance, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.

Ireland raises the issue of the safety of Christians through its official bilateral contacts with the countries in question, stressing the responsibility of the government to protect all citizens and minorities. We consistently press for effective action to counter the persecution of minorities in all relevant international fora, including the EU and UN. I highlighted the issue when I addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on 29 September 2014. I also raised it during my meeting with UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.

Ireland works within and alongside the EU to address the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, notably with the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief adopted during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013. These Guidelines provide EU officials with an overview of the legal and policy framework within which the right to freedom of religion or belief is protected. They also elaborate an EU strategy on how to engage with third countries on the right to freedom of religion or belief, a strategy which we hope to see bear fruit as we assess the implementation of the Guidelines.

The EU leads resolutions on freedom of religion or belief at both the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, of which Ireland is currently a member. Ireland is an active participant in the negotiation of these resolutions. In 2014, the EU-led resolutions on freedom of religion or belief were successfully adopted without a vote by the HRC (March 2014) and by the UN General Assembly during its 69th session (December 2014). Ireland also raised concerns in relation to persecution on the basis of religion or belief in interactive dialogues with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion during the 69th session of the Third Committee in 2014.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique peer review mechanism whereby the human rights records of individual states are reviewed in the UN Human Rights Council. Ireland is an active participant in the UPR. and, where applicable, raises concerns in relation to persecution on the basis of religion or belief during the dialogue with states under review.

I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to actively support freedom of religion or belief across our foreign policy.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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29. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the latest developments in Egypt particularly in relation to the mass trials of protestors and including Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa at the recent European Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7794/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I remain deeply concerned at this individual’s continued detention as well as the recent further postponement of his trial. From my first day in office, I have taken an active role in this case and indeed in my first week in office I spoke to Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry setting out my concerns.

I have spoken to FM Shoukry on a number of further occasions, stressing that the individual was only 17 at the time of the alleged offences and asking for the case to be reviewed, so that he may be released so that he can return to his studies and his family. I have met this individual’s family on a number of occasions, most recently on 12 February.

I have also raised the matter repeatedly at a European level and at a recent meeting HRVP Mogherini assured me of the ongoing assistance which the EU institutions can provide.

We are monitoring all developments closely. This is a difficult case involving a foreign legal system and the judicial processes of another state in which we cannot interfere.

It remains the Government’s view that this individual should not be tried as part of a group trial involving a large number of defendants and on the basis of group charges. I wish to assure the Deputy of my ongoing commitment to the welfare of this young Irish citizen. I wish also to assure the deputy that officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, both in Dublin and in Cairo, are in ongoing contact with this individual and his family, and with the Egyptian authorities and will continue to work actively towards the achievement of a positive outcome to this case.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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30. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to rallies held in Bahrain on 14 February, 2015, to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the beginning of protests demanding democratic freedoms and political reform; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the protesters were tear-gassed, had rubber bullets fired at them; that approximately 50 human rights activists, journalists, religious personalities and political opposition members were stripped of their Bahraini citizenship, in January 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8277/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the events in question and am deeply concerned by such reports. Ireland has continually advocated that civil society actors must be free to operate in a safe and enabling environment, free from repression. Ireland’s concerns on such human rights issues in Bahrain have been conveyed regularly to the Bahraini authorities.

At the second Universal Periodic Review of Bahrain in May 2012 at the Human Rights Council Ireland recommended that Bahrain amend any article of its Penal Code that can be used to prosecute individuals for the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly or association, and bring its laws into line with international standards established by the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights.

Ireland was one of 47 member states who delivered a joint statement expressing serious concern over the human rights situation in Bahrain at the 26^thSession of the UN Human Rights Council in June of 2014. In this statement, the signatories expressed their concern regarding the protection of human rights in Bahrain and called on the government to expedite the implementation of the recommendations received from the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry in this regard.

At the 27^thsession of the Human Rights Council in September 2014, in a national statement, Ireland again expressed our serious concerns about the human rights situation, in particular condemning ‘the continuing arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, detained for peacefully exercising their human rights’.

The situation faced by human rights defenders in Bahrain has also been raised with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders.

Human rights defenders and civil society actors, whether in Bahrain or elsewhere, should not be detained or persecuted for simply exercising their rights.

I am aware of reports of the revocation of citizenship referred to. I would recall Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that, “Everyone has the right to a nationality” and, “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality.” Without due process, no one should be deprived of their nationality.

Ireland will continue to raise its concerns in relation to these matters.