Written question asked by Louise Ellman (Labour) on Tuesday, 5 April 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 26 April 2011. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Tuesday, 26 April 2011 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iran: Human Rights

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Iran on respect for human rights in that country.

Answer: The human rights situation in Iran remains deeply disturbing and was highlighted prominently in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Command Paper, placed in the house on 31 March 2011. The UK has been at the forefront of recent action in the EU to apply restrictive measures against human rights abusers in Iran. The UK also worked to support the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur for Iran, and highlighted the human rights situation in Iran in statements in the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva in March. On a bilateral level, we continue to highlight our concerns and request additional information about specific cases during meetings with the Iranian embassy in London, and through the our embassy in Tehran. We will continue to do so, while also making clear statements condemning cases where injustice has occurred.

Secondary information