Written question asked by Peter Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party) on Wednesday, 3 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 March 2010. It was answered by Ivan Lewis (Labour) on Monday, 8 March 2010 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iran: Human Rights

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to seek to ensure that Iran complies with international human rights conventions and laws.

Answer: It is clear that the people of Iran are leading the charge for human rights and democracy, however they need to know that their calls for basic rights and freedoms are supported by the international community. The Iranian Government have a duty to ensure that their actions live up to the human rights standards to which it has committed. The United Kingdom was one of many UN member states to draw attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran during its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on 15 February. The HRC is currently in session in Geneva, and we are seeking every opportunity to draw attention to the situation in Iran, both nationally and as the EU. My noble Friend Baroness Kinnock raised our concerns when addressing the Council on 2 March and we did so again in our response to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 4 March.We raised concerns with the Iranian authorities on at least 70 occasions last year, either bilaterally or through the EU and UN. We will continue to work hard alongside partners, international Non-governmental organisations and civil society to ensure that the Iranian regime is held to account over its appalling human rights record.

Secondary information