Iran: Baha’i Faith

David Howarth
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Iran on the treatment of members of the Baha’i faith in that country.

Mr. Ivan Lewis
Alongside our EU partners we have expressed concerns about the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran to the Iranian Government on several occasions. The EU Presidency summoned the Iranian Ambassador on 10 July 2009, and expressed deep concern about the overall situation of the Baha’is in Iran, especially the charges “espionage” and “corruption on earth” against the seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned for over a year without trial.

Most recently, on 20 November 2009, the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution on human rights in Iran for the seventh consecutive year. The Resolution condemns “attacks on Baha’is and their faith in State-sponsored media, increasing evidence of efforts by the State to identify, monitor and arbitrarily detain Baha’is, preventing members of the Baha’i faith from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically”.

We will continue to urge Iran to respect the right to freedom of religion and belief as described in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a State Party.