“Christianity is the most persecuted religion on earth”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Hungarian M1 television’s Sunday afternoon current affairs program with relation to the series of bomb attacks committed on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, which claimed over two hundred lives.

“Hungary deeply condemns the attacks, which have once again proven that religious communities, and primarily Christians, have become the prime targets of attacks by terrorist organisations”, the Minister emphasised. “On this occasion, the faithful were attacked during mass, which is an extremely unconscionable act”, he added. Mr. Szijjártó assured the families of the victims of his deepest sympathies.

The Minister said that an emergency phone number has been set up for Hungarian citizens possibly affected by the attacks. The Hungarian authorities are aware of seven Hungarian citizens who previously registered on the consular website, and they are safe and well. The Minister asked people travelling to the region to register on the consular website and provide information on their whereabouts to ensure that they receive immediate assistance from the Hungarian authorities in case of emergency.

Eight bomb attacks were committed in Sri Lanka on the morning of Easter Sunday, of which three occurred in churches and four in hotels. According to the information currently available, the series of attacks claimed over 200 lives and left some five hundred people injured. The Sri Lankan government has ordered a nationwide curfew from early on Sunday evening until Monday morning.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)