Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Iranian counterparts concerning the recent arrest of Baha’i children’s rights activist, Afshin Heyratian; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to ensure his release.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 67802 on 6 August 2025, and add that we are aware of Afshin Heyratian's case and are monitoring the situation for Baha'is more widely.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Iranian counterpart on the sentencing of Morteza Faghanpour Sassi; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure his release.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Further to the answer I gave on 29 October to Question 83265, we are concerned by Morteza Faghanpour Sassi's case and we continue to monitor the situation for Christians in Iran.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will review the adequacy of her Department's position ahead of the next meeting at the UN on an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to strengthen the right to education in 2026; and if she will publish the (a) criteria, (b) timeline and (c) cross-Government process for that review.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 3 November 2025 to Question 84390.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the UK’s domestic provision of (a) a free reception year and (b) tuition-free secondary education with her Department's position on proposals at the United Nations to guarantee (i) at least one year of free pre-primary education and (ii) free secondary education in international law.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 3 November 2025 to Question 84390.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) other Cabinet colleagues on the UK’s position on proposals at the United Nations to negotiate an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to strengthen the right to education.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 3 November 2025 to Question 84390.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Iranian counterpart on the sentencing of Morteza Faghanpour Sassi; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure his release.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Further to the answer I gave on 29 October to Question 83265, we are concerned by Morteza Faghanpour Sassi's case and we continue to monitor the situation for Christians in Iran.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Iranian counterpart on the detention of Baha’i Shahram Fallah since August 2025; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure his release.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer to the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 67802 on 6 August 2025 and add that on 23 September 2025, at the UN Human Rights Council, Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization and UN, Kumar Iyer, highlighted Iran's recent targeting and scapegoating of marginalised communities, including Baha'is.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of her policies of the death of Somayeh Rashidi in Iran in September 2025; and what discussions she has had with her Iranian counterparts on taking steps to ensure there is an independent investigation of his death.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we set out in the answer of 6 August 2025 to question 67434 we remained concerned over the arbitrary detention of women and other political prisoners in Iran, and we were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Somayeh Rashidi, and other women in detention.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in Iran on Hakop Gochumyan; and whether she is taking diplomatic steps to help secure his release.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are very concerned by Mr. Gochumyan's case and at Iran's treatment of Christians more broadly. On 23 September 2025, at the UN Human Rights Council, UK Permanent Representative, Kumar Iyer, highlighted the targeting and scapegoating of marginalised groups, including Christians, by Iran. The UK Government and our Ambassador in Iran continue to monitor the situation closely and raise rights issues directly with the Iranian Government.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Iranian authorities on Hakop Gochumyan; and what steps she is taking to ensure his release.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are very concerned by Mr. Gochumyan's case and at Iran's treatment of Christians more broadly. On 23 September 2025, at the UN Human Rights Council, UK Permanent Representative, Kumar Iyer, highlighted the targeting and scapegoating of marginalised groups, including Christians, by Iran. The UK Government and our Ambassador in Iran continue to monitor the situation closely and raise rights issues directly with the Iranian Government.