To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will raise with the Iranian government the cases of Miss Haleh Roohi, Mr. Sasan Taqva and Miss Raha Sabet who have recently been imprisoned in Iran; and if he will make a statement. (184242)

We regularly raise our concerns about the treatment of Baha'í with the Iranian authorities, both bilaterally and through the EU.

The EU presidency has already raised the case of these three individuals in a meeting with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 22 January. In this meeting, the EU drew attention to the worsening situation of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, especially the Baha'i community, and expressed opposition to all forms of discrimination, in particular regarding the freedom of religion. The EU called for the immediate release of the three individuals and the abandoning of all proceedings against the rest of the group of Baha'is . We will monitor this case closely and will continue to raise it with the Iranian government.

The Government continues to press the Iranian authorities to take seriously their international human rights obligations, uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief, as described in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and address the discrimination suffered by Iranian Baha'is.