Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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112. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on alleged persecution and intimidation of Christians in parts of Pakistan and India; if he has asked Ireland's ambassadors to raise these reports with the governments concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48476/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Freedom of religious expression is also a cornerstone of any functioning democracy, and those rights must be guaranteed. Acts of violence and discrimination based on religion or belief, committed in the name of religion or national security, whether by individuals, by groups or by states, must be challenged.

The promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and Ireland works closely with human rights defenders to protect them, the work they do and to promote the value of civil society space. I am aware of the allegations of persecution to which the Deputy refers. I very strongly condemn any violent attacks faced by the Christian community in India and Pakistan, and all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where it occurs, or who the victims are.

Ireland has raised specific cases of persecution on religious grounds with the relevant authorities in India and Pakistan. For example, the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman whose conviction for blasphemy in Pakistan was recently overturned, has received much international attention in recent weeks. My Department has raised Ms Bibi’s case on a number of occasions both in Dublin with the Embassy of Pakistan and in Islamabad through our Ambassador in Ankara (who is also accredited to Pakistan). Minister Flanagan, when Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, raised the case with the Pakistani Chargé d’Affaires en pied in January 2016. The European Union has also raised the case with the Pakistani authorities. Minister Flanagan also raised concerns on the blasphemy laws with his Pakistani counterpart on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2016.

Officials from my Department, including in our Embassies in New Delhi and Ankara, will continue to monitor the human rights situation in India and Pakistan, including allegations of persecution on religious grounds. In doing so, we will work in close cooperation with the EU and like-minded states on the issue.