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Written question asked by Barry Sheerman (Labour) on Monday, 31 October 2022, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 November 2022. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Thursday, 10 November 2022 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart in the last 12 months on the Baháʼís and allegations of the destruction of private property and seizure of private land.

Answer

The Baha'i community in Iran is systematically persecuted by the authorities, including through expropriation of land, destruction of homes, and unfair detentions. Persecution of religious minorities is a serious human rights violation and cannot be tolerated in 2022. We have excellent links with the Baha'i community in London and will continue to work with them to advocate for the rights of the Baha'i community in Iran.

We raise Iran's dire human rights record, including its treatment of the Baha'i, at all appropriate opportunities, both in London and directly via His Majesty's Ambassador in Tehran. We continue to work with partners to hold Iran to account through multilateral fora such as the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly Third Committee, where we reiterated our condemnation of Iran's persecution of the Baha'i on Wednesday 26 October.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
74529
Session
2022-23
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Damage Baha'i faith Land Property Iran
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk