Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the government of Iran to release Baha’is who have been detained on grounds of their religious convictions.

The Baha'i community in Iran is systematically discriminated against, harassed and targeted by the authorities. Reports indicate that the Iranian Government has this year redoubled repressive efforts against the Baha'i community, with expropriation and repossession of land, destruction of homes and increasing detention of members of the community. As the FCDO Minister responsible for Human Rights, I [Lord Ahmad] said on 5 August: persecution of religious minorities is a serious human rights violation and cannot be tolerated in 2022. We reiterated our commitment to holding Iran to account at a Westminster Hall debate on 11 October. We continue to raise human rights with the Iranian Government at all appropriate opportunities.