Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of executions that have occurred in Iran in the last 12 months.

The opaque nature of Iran's judicial system prevents us from knowing exactly how many executions have taken place. However, Iranian human rights groups estimate that over 700 people have been executed this year, marking a concerning escalation. The UK Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances in all countries, especially when imposed upon minors. We have made clear to Iran, both in public and privately, our opposition to the use of the death penalty. We co-sponsored the Iran Human Rights Resolution at the 78th UN General Assembly, calling for an immediate moratorium on executions with a view to eventually abolishing the death penalty.