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Iran: Human Rights

Answer

We remain concerned about the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran; Iranian Baha’is continue to face discrimination and intimidation. We receive regular updates on their situation from the National Assembly of the Baha’is of the United Kingdom.Recent reports about the murder of two elderly Baha’i women, Bihnam Saltanat Akhdari and Shah Baygum Diqhani, and the persecution of Baha’i school children are particularly worrying. We are currently trying to find out more information about this and we will take further action as appropriate. We understand that Mr. Dhabihu’llah Mahrami died in custody on 15 December 2005. Mr. Mahrami’s case had previously appeared on the EU list of cases of concern used in the EU-Iran Human Rights Dialogue. The EU raised the death of Mr. Mahrami in a meeting with the Iranian authorities on 31 January 2006 and handed over a note verbale requesting further information. We have not received specific reports about the treatment of the family home since his death, but would be prepared to consider further action as appropriate. We are also concerned about reports that Iranian newspapers, including hardline Keyhan, have been carrying out a propaganda campaign against the Baha’i community. We raised our concerns about this in an EU démarche last year.The Government continues to press the Iranian authorities to take seriously their international human rights obligations, uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief, as described in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and address the discrimination suffered by Iranian Baha’is. We were pleased that all EU countries co-sponsored a resolution about the human rights situation in Iran at the UN General Assembly in December last year which expressed serious concern at"““the disregard of property rights, including through de facto expropriation as noted in the report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing””"and"““the escalation and increased frequency of discrimination and other human rights violations against members of the Baha’i Faith””."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

136691; 460 c696-7W

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Human rights Iran

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk