Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support human rights defenders in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn the Islamic Republic's severe repression of human rights defenders in Iran. We were integral to the delivery of the Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release persons arbitrarily detained for the exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including human rights defenders. We continue to support the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, which under its expanded mandate, will collect and preserve evidence for recent and ongoing human rights violations in Iran. We continue to engage with Iranian diaspora groups and civil society to work together toward accountability. His Majesty's Ambassador to Iran and I continue to raise human rights directly with the Iranian government.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to respond to reports of the detention of journalists in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn Iran's severe restrictions against Freedom of Opinion and Expression, including reprisals against journalists. We were integral to the delivery of the Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to halt threats and intimidation against journalists who are critical of the government, and to investigate and prosecute those responsible for reprisals against journalists. As a member of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK is committed to ensuring that journalists are able to do their jobs without fear of retribution from Iran.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international partners to ensure that free and fair elections are held in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcomed the formation of the Syrian Government last month and the commitment of interim President al-Sharaa to hold free and fair elections. We are working closely with the Syrian Government, the UN and international partners to support an inclusive transition that represents Syria's diversity and protects the rights of all its citizens. We continue to call on the Syrian Government to prioritise inclusivity and representation in the building of state institutions and in further appointments, and to set out a clear timeline for the next phases of the transition. I discussed these issues with Foreign Minister al-Shaibani on 17 March.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on ensuring that members of the previous Syrian Government are held accountable for (a) the use of chemical weapons and (b) other crimes against humanity.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We support the UN and civil society accountability efforts, including developing a credible evidence base to record atrocities committed by the former regime and others. We are also working with international partners to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to destroy Assad's chemical weapons programme and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
We supported the establishment of both the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism and Independent Institution for Missing Persons, and welcomed the recent renewal of the Commission of Inquiry in April. We are advocating for these mechanisms to have the operational remit to complement Syrian-led accountability efforts.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect civil society organisations (a) within or (b) in exile from Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly engage the Iranian diaspora and human rights organisations in exile to better understand the lived experiences of Iranians. We stand with them in their fight for equal rights and fundamental freedoms. On the 4th March, the Security Minister announced to Parliament a concerted package of measures to counter the threat from the Iranian Intelligence Services.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has evidence of human rights violations by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In March 2024, the UN International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, which is mandated to collect and preserve evidence of human rights violations, said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, amongst other state security forces, "participated in the commission of serious human rights violations". The UK maintains 94 human rights sanctions against Iranian individuals or entities, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to reopen the British Embassy in Damascus.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are keeping the re-establishment of a permanent presence in Damascus under review. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office staff, including our UK Special Representative for Syria, undertake visits to Damascus, most recently in April.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding he plans to provide for civil society organisations in Syria in the 2027-28 financial year.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Budgets for the 2027-28 financial year have not yet been agreed.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of consulting with Syrian civil society organisations on the steps required to ease sanctions.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long supported Syrian civil society, and we continue to do so. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers and senior officials, including the UK Special Representative for Syria, regularly meet civil society actors to discuss a range of issues, including the impact of sanctions. On 1 April, I met representatives from Syrian civil society to discuss how the international community can support Syria in building a better future, including through sanctions relief.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in cyber operations targeting UK infrastructure or citizens.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) assess that Iran-based threat actors remain aggressive in cyberspace and continue to achieve their objectives through less sophisticated cyber techniques (including prolific use of spear-phishing), but also targeting industrial control systems. Iran is likely developing its cyber capabilities and willing to target the UK to fulfil its disruptive and destructive objectives. The NCSC continues to work closely with government, industry and international partners to understand and mitigate the cyber threat from Iran.
This includes the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In September 2024, the UK and the US jointly issued a Technical Advisory focusing on attackers working on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who use social engineering to gain access to victims' online accounts. This Advisory provided network defenders with information to help mitigate these threats.
The UK will continue to expose and take action against malicious cyber activity carried out by Iranian groups. These groups can no longer operate in the shadows, and the UK and international partners will hold Iran to account for their behaviour.