Iran: Baha'i Faith

(asked on 15th July 2019) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on trends in the level of Tazir laws in Iran in relation to the (a) arbitrary punishment, (b) imprisonment and (c) internal exile of members of the Baha’i community in that country; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Andrew Murrison Portrait
Andrew Murrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This question was answered on 23rd July 2019

We are aware of reports about the continued harassment and mistreatment that the Baha'i and other minority groups face. We support the assessment of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights that discrimination against the Baha'is in Iran is sanctioned by a lack of constitutional recognition and the absence of other legal protections for adherents of this faith. We regularly call upon Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to protect freedom of religion or belief.

Reticulating Splines