19/08/2014 Political Affairs and Democracy
Theodora Bakoyannis (Greece, EPP/CD), Chairperson of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has called on the international community to send humanitarian aid to religious groups in Iraq threatened by the terrorist insurgency there and to help restore security.
“Following the dramatic deterioration of security in Iraq’s Sinjar region, I condemn the appalling violation of human rights – including religious freedoms – of various religious groups in the country by the terrorist organisation known as the ‘Islamic State’,” said Ms Bakoyannis, who is also a former Foreign Minister of Greece.
“I salute the efforts of the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, who are doing their best to support the members of these persecuted populations. The tragic situation of Christians, Yazidis and Shiite Muslims calls for immediate action by the international community, both to send humanitarian aid and to help the Iraqi Government to restore security.”
“It is also essential that Iraq’s persecuted Yazidis and Christians are offered safe haven in other regions of the country so that they may return to their homes once it is safe to do so. This should help to ensure that Iraq continues to be a multicultural society in which mutual cultural respect and tolerance prevail, preventing further violence and contributing to regional security.”