Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with the (a) UK Baha'i community and (b) Baha'i international community about the human rights situation of people of the Baha'i faith in (i) Iran, (ii) Egypt and (iii) other countries.
Answered by Alistair Burt
I met representatives of the Baha'i community on 13 July during which I discussed the human rights situation of followers of the Baha'i faith in Iran and Yemen.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of trends in number of people of the Baha'i faith persecuted in Iran (a) between 2005 and 2013 and (b) since the coming to power of President Hassan Rouhani in August 2013.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK Government does not hold historical data on the number of Baha'is detained or persecuted in Iran. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran estimates that, as of March 2017, there were 90 Baha'is detained in Iran, all for charges related to their religious belief and practices.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate the Government has made of the number of (a) British and (b) other nationals of Baha'i faith who have been (i) detained, (ii) sentenced to imprisonment, (iii) murdered, (iv) executed and (v) persecuted in other ways in Iran in each year since 2005.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK Government does not hold historical data on the number of Baha'is detained or persecuted in Iran. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran estimates that, as of March 2017, there were 90 Baha'is detained in Iran, all for charges related to their religious belief and practices.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations the Government has made at (a) an EU and (b) a UN level on the persecution of people of the Baha'i faith in Iran.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We regularly discuss concerns about the human rights situation in Iran, including the persecution of followers of the Baha'i faith, with our EU and other international partners in both Tehran and in Brussels. In the UN we continue to lead efforts to encourage Iran to improve its human rights record. For example, in March 2017 at the UN Human Rights Council, we highlighted persecution of Baha'is during the dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on harassment of schoolchildren and expulsion of university students from the Baha'i community in Iran; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
There is a worrying trend of persecution of the Baha’i faith in Iran, which includes the harassment of Baha’i school children and students. We call on Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians. I raised our concerns in Tehran on 18 Jan.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on Baha'i-owned shops being sealed by government authorities in the city of Alborz, Iran in November 2016 and remaining closed; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Government regularly raises human rights concerns with the Iranian government, including the continued persecution of religious minorities and the treatment of the Baha'i community. We are aware that the Iranian authorities shut down a number of Baha'i businesses in response to their closure to observe Baha'i holy days in November 2016. This forms part of a worrying trend of persecution of the Baha'i faith in Iran. We call on Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of the suppression of the economic activity among the Baha'i community in Iran; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The treatment of the Baha'i community in Iran is of particular concern. The latest report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran sets out the suppression and harassment that Baha'is are subject to in Iran. This includes restrictions on the types of businesses and jobs Baha'is can have, unequal treatment of Baha'i employees, and seizures of Baha'i businesses and property.
The UK has consistently pressed Iran to improve its human rights record, both through bilateral engagement and with our international partners. We fully support the Special Rapporteur's recommendation that the Iranian authorities should recognise freedom of religion and belief, and that this entails the freedom to choose a religion or belief free from discriminatory or restrictive measures.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will instruct the UK Mission to Geneva to raise a question on the situation of the Baha'is in Iran with the Special Rapporteur on Iran, Ms Asma Jahangir, during her interactive dialogue with member states at the 34th session of the Human Rights Council; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The United Kingdom remains extremely concerned about the persecution and discrimination of religious minorities in Iran. Our statement during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran will reiterate our serious concerns about the treatment of the Baha'is and freedom of religion in Iran.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of the forced closure of over 100 Baha'i shops in Iran during the first week of November 2016; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK regularly raises human rights concerns with the Iranian government including the continued persecution of religious minorities and treatment of the Baha'i community. We are aware that the Iranian authorities have closed down a number of Baha'i businesses in response to them temporarily closing to observe Baha'i holy days on 1 and 2 November. This forms part of a worrying trend of persecution of the Baha'i faith in Iran. We call on Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he has received reports on forced closure of Baha'i shops and businesses in Iran and associated economic repression by the Iranian authorities; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK regularly raises human rights concerns with the Iranian government including the continued persecution of religious minorities and treatment of the Baha'i community. We are aware of the enforced closures of Baha'i businesses by the Iranian authorities. We call on Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians.