The Greek foreign ministry condemned on Monday the coldblooded execution of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya by Islamic State militants. In a statement, the Ministry characterized this act as a “vile and inhuman atrocity” and reassured the peoples of the region that “Greece will continue to stand by them as a firm supporter of human rights and religious freedoms, wherever those are threatened.”

Read below the full statement of the Foreign Ministry

The coldblooded murder of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya by an extremist Islamist organization linked to the “Islamic State” organization is yet further proof of the barbarity and horror represented by ISIS and a clear indication of the intentions of ISIS supporters in Libya to establish an authoritarian, fanatical and intolerant jihadist regime.

We strongly condemn this vile and inhuman atrocity, and we express our great concern and the escalating persecution of Christians and of all the other religious communities of the Middle East and North Africa; communities that are suffering the impact of terrorism, of unreason and of religious intolerance.

We express our deep condolences to the families of the victims and we assure all of the governments and peoples of the region that Greece will continue to stand by them as a firm supporter of human rights and religious freedoms, wherever those are threatened.

In light of all the recent tragic incidents and of the escalating religious intolerance, the implementation of the Greek initiative for the protection of Christian communities in the wider region of the Middle East and North Africa – an initiative presented by Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and supported by the Republic of Cyprus at the recent meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels (9 February 2015) – is more timely than ever.

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Background

The Islamic State released a video on Sunday that showed the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya. Hours after the release, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned that his country would respond to the deaths.

The five-minute video showing the deaths has been confirmed as authentic. It appeared on the Twitter feed of a pro-Islamic State website.