Written question asked by David Lepper (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 May 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 22 May 2008. It was answered by Kim Howells (Labour) on Thursday, 5 June 2008 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iran: Prisoners

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Iran on the arrest on 14 May and the detention in Evin prison of Fabriba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afifi Naeimi, Saied Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakki and Vahid Tifzah, all of whom co-ordinate the activities of the Baha'i community in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: We are deeply concerned by the arrests of the informal Baha'i leadership in Tehran on 14 May and the ongoing persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran. We remain committed to pressing the Government of Iran to address its poor human rights record, including by protecting the right to religious freedom and ending the discrimination of the Baha'is in Iran. Following a recommendation by the UK, the EU issued a public declaration on 21 May which expressed"““serious concern about the continuing systematic discrimination and harassment of the Iranian Baha'is on the grounds of their religion””"and called for the release of the detained individuals. We will continue to raise this issue with the Iranian authorities.

Secondary information