Written question asked by Chris Bryant (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 March 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 March 2023 (named day). It was answered by David Rutley (Conservative) on Monday, 20 March 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Iran: Detainees

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the US Administration and (b) EU counterparts on the imposition of sanctions on (i) Ali Ghanaatkar, (ii) Ali Rezvani and (iii) Amened Sadat Zahbipour for their role in Iran’s state hostage-taking; and if he will impose sanctions on those individuals.

Answer: The UK will never accept our nationals being used as political leverage. Working with our international partners, including the USA and European Union, we continue to press Iran to end this abhorrent practice. In December 2022, the UK sanctioned ten officials connected to Iran's judicial and prison systems. This includes six individuals linked to the Revolutionary Courts which have been responsible for egregious sentences on British nationals. In January, we sanctioned Iran's Prosecutor General and deputy Prosecutor General, two of the most powerful figures in Iran's judiciary and responsible for the trial process and sentencing. The UK sanctions over 300 Iranian individuals and entities, including in relation to human rights violations, counter-proliferation, regional activity and terrorism. This includes 60 new human rights designations since October 2022. We do not speculate on future designations as doing so could reduce their impact.

Secondary information