Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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895. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will intervene to seek to secure the release of a person (details supplied), who is currently on death row in Pakistan for the crime of blasphemy; the actions he will take to encourage other European Union States, and the European Union itself, to seek the release of this person and to end the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21486/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Government remains very concerned about this case. The former Irish Ambassador accredited to Pakistan (from Ankara, Turkey) conveyed our concern at this conviction on a number of occasions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, most recently in early November 2014. In the course of his meetings there in November 2014, he met with a senior Pakistani Foreign Ministry representative and raised this case, noting that it is a matter of grave concern in Ireland. Officials in my Department have also raised this case, and our concerns regarding the blasphemy laws and persecution of Christians generally, with the Embassy of Pakistan. On 18 October 2014, a spokesperson for the European External Action Service expressed deep concern and sadness at the High Court decision to uphold this conviction. They also called on Pakistan to ensure for all its citizens, full respect of human rights as guaranteed by international conventions to which it is party. The death penalty in Pakistan and this case were also the subject of a statement made on behalf of the then EU High Representative Catherine Ashton at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 22 October 2014. In the course of this, it was noted that the EU, particularly its delegation in Islamabad, would continue to both follow the case closely and to advocate for the verdict to be overturned. While not trying to intervene in an ongoing court case, the statement noted that the EU would use any opportunity to raise this case and the wider issues of the death penalty and blasphemy law, with Pakistan.

The current EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis, also visited Pakistan in October 2014 where he held an in depth dialogue with the Pakistan authorities on key human rights issues.

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.

Freedom of religion or belief and freedom of opinion and expression play a central role in the EU’s dialogue with Pakistan. In recent months, the EU-led resolutions on freedom of religion or belief were successfully adopted without a vote by the Human Rights Council in March 2015 and by the UN General Assembly during its 69th session in December 2014. Ireland was actively involved in the negotiation of these resolutions. I raised concerns in relation to persecution on the basis of religion or belief when I addressed the Human Rights Council in March.

We are aware of the vulnerable situation of persons belonging to religious minorities in Pakistan and will continue to raise this case and others bilaterally with the Pakistan Government as well as through the framework and mechanisms of the EU and the UN.