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Parliamentary Research
Freedom and democracy in Iran - CDP-2024-0019
Jan. 26 2024

Found: academy , The Telegraph, 10 January 2024; Iranian and Hezbollah commanders help direct Houthi attacks in Yemen


Parliamentary Research
General debate on freedom of religion or belief - CDP-2023-0182
Sep. 08 2023

Found: Iran: Baha'i Faith 27 Jun 2023 | 190140 Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi To ask the Secretary of State


Select Committee
Formal Minutes 2017-19: List of closed petitions

Formal Minutes Apr. 01 2021

Committee: Petitions Committee

Found: //petition.parliament.uk/petitions/204886 Urge the Saudi -led coalition to lift their blockade on Yemen


Parliamentary Research
Government policy on Iran - CDP-2020-0135
Nov. 10 2020

Found: transfer of weapons, for example to Lebanese Hezbollah , Iraqi militia groups and the Houthis in Yemen


Written Question
Yemen: Baha'i Faith
Monday 21st September 2020

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has received reports of a court hearing in Sana’a, Yemen on 22 August 2020 in which six Baha'i's who were pardoned and released from custody were declared fugitives; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We welcome the long overdue release of six Baha'is from Houthi detention, but it is deeply concerning that they were detained for their beliefs in the first place and that they cannot live freely and peacefully in their country. We are monitoring the situation closely and we strongly condemn the continued persecution of the Baha'i in Yemen for their religious beliefs. We are working closely with our partners to raise these concerns directly with the Houthi authorities and urge the release of all Yemenis detained for their beliefs or nationality. We continue to follow the treatment of the Baha'is in Yemen closely, including through meeting their representatives in the UK and lobbying the relevant authorities. We continue to call on the parties to the conflict to respect the human rights of all Yemenis.


Written Question
Yemen: Baha'i Faith
Monday 21st September 2020

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what reports he has received on the situation of the Baha'i' community in north Yemen; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We welcome the long overdue release of six Baha'is from Houthi detention, but it is deeply concerning that they were detained for their beliefs in the first place and that they cannot live freely and peacefully in their country. We are monitoring the situation closely and we strongly condemn the continued persecution of the Baha'i in Yemen for their religious beliefs. We are working closely with our partners to raise these concerns directly with the Houthi authorities and urge the release of all Yemenis detained for their beliefs or nationality. We continue to follow the treatment of the Baha'is in Yemen closely, including through meeting their representatives in the UK and lobbying the relevant authorities. We continue to call on the parties to the conflict to respect the human rights of all Yemenis.


Written Question
Yemen: Baha'i Faith
Tuesday 12th May 2020

Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they have made to President Mahdi al Mashat that the pardon for Hamed bin Haydara and five other Yemeni Baha'i, and their release from jail, be expedited.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are monitoring the case of Hamed bin Haydara closely. On 25 March the Houthis announced that they would release Mr Haydara and his fellow wrongfully detained Baha'i, but we have seen no further action since then. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa made public our concerns on 22 April, urging the Houthis to release all political prisoners without delay. We strongly condemn the death sentence and the continued persecution of the Baha'i in Yemen for their religious beliefs. We meet often with the Baha'i representatives in London who keep us updated on the situation.


Select Committee
Baha'i Community of the UK
FRB0025 - Human rights: Freedom of religion and belief, and human rights defenders inquiry

Written Evidence Nov. 05 2019

Inquiry: Human rights: Freedom of religion and belief, and human rights defenders inquiry
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Foreign Affairs Committee (Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

Found: FRB0025 - Human rights: Freedom of religion and belief, and human rights defenders inquiry Baha'i Community


Written Question
Yemen: Baha'i Faith
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Lord Dholakia (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the repression of members of the Bahá'í community in north Yemen; and what representations they have made to representatives of the Houthis about freedom of religion or belief in those areas under their de facto governance.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK strongly condemns the mistreatment of Baha’is who are being persecuted for their religious beliefs in areas under the control of the Houthis. We are working closely with our partners to raise these concerns directly with the Houthi authorities and urge the release of detained individuals. We continue to call on the parties to the conflict for the human rights of all Yemenis to be respected.

I raised the religious persecution of the Baha’i community in my statement of 22 October on human rights. We continue to follow the treatment of the Baha’is in Yemen closely, including through meeting their representatives in the UK and lobbying the relevant authorities.


Written Question
Yemen: Baha'i Faith
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of discrimination against members of the Baha’i faith by Houthi authorities in Yemen; and what representations he has made to the (a) Houthi authorities and the government of Iran on the persecution of the Baha’i.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The UK strongly condemns the mistreatment of Baha’is who are being persecuted for their religious beliefs in areas under the control of the Houthis. We are working closely with our partners to raise these concerns directly with the Houthi authorities and urge the release of detained individuals. We continue to follow the treatment of the Baha’is in Yemen closely, including through meeting their representatives in the UK and lobbying the relevant authorities. We continue to call on the parties to the conflict for the human rights of all Yemenis to be respected.

At the UN General Assembly in September, we brought the international community together at a UK-hosted event to shine a spotlight on Iran's human rights abuses. We will also be using Iran’s forthcoming Universal Periodic Review in November, to raise concerns about the ongoing discrimination and targeting of religious minority groups, including the Baha’i community.