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4 Feb 2008 : Column 763W—continued
Iran: Oppression
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iranian Government on its practice of holding peaceful dissenters in detention without trial under national security legislation; and if he will make a statement. [183859]
Dr. Howells: We are very concerned by the growing clampdown on dissent in Iran, including through the use of national security legislation.
In the last year, a large number of human rights defenders have been accused of
“acting against national security”.
This has included trade unionists, such as Mansour Ossanlou and Mahmud Salehi, peaceful protesters including teachers protesting for a living wage, a large number of women arrested in spring/summer 2007 for protesting in favour of equal rights, and other human rights activists such as Emaddedin Baghi, an anti-death penalty campaigner.
Others have been sentenced for related offences such a
“propaganda against the system”
—most recently, a group of 54 Baha’is, but also a number of students arrested in July 2007 in connection with an article in a student magazine.
We have raised all of these cases through the EU, highlighting the fact that individuals have essentially been sentenced for non-violent protest, and calling on the Iranian Government to support the right to freedom of expression, as it is committed to under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The UN General Assembly passed a resolution about the human rights situation in Iran in December last year, expressing very serious concern about
“ongoing, systemic and serious restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and freedom of opinion and expression ... and increasing harassment, intimidation and persecution of political opponents and human rights defenders from all sectors of Iranian society”.
Iran: Prisoners
Lembit Öpik: 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]
Dr. Howells: 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.
Iran: Religious Freedom
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issue of freedom of religious conscience in Iran with his counterpart in the Iranian government; and if he will make a statement. [184243]
Dr. Howells: We continue to be very concerned by the treatment of religious minorities in Iran—in particular the Bahá'í and Christian communities and converts from Islam. We have made clear to the Iranian authorities on many occasions that we believe persecution of individuals on the grounds of their ethnicity or religious beliefs is unacceptable.
The UN General Assembly passed a resolution about the human rights situation in Iran in December last year, expressing very serious concern about increasing discrimination against religious and other minorities in Iran, including Christians, Jews, Sufis, Sunni Muslims and Bahá'í. The UK, through the EU, co-sponsored this resolution.
We will continue to raise concerns about the treatment of religious minorities with the Iranian authorities through the EU and bilaterally, and press the Iranian authorities to take seriously their international human rights obligations and uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief as described in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (to which Iran is a state party).
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the religious freedom of the minority Báha’í community in Iran. [184244]
Dr. Howells: We continue to be very concerned by the treatment of religious minorities in Iran, including Bahá’ís.
The Bahá’í faith is not recognised under the Iranian constitution and as a result Bahá’í routinely face discrimination and persecution. In recent years Bahá’í have been subject to arbitrary arrests, confiscation of property and restrictions on employment. Bahá’í students have not been able to access higher education unless they deny their faith or accept that it is incorrectly recorded on official university forms.
The UN General Assembly passed a resolution about the human rights situation in Iran in December last year, expressing very serious concern about increasing discrimination against religious and other minorities in Iran, including in particular
“attacks on Bahá’ís and their faith in state-sponsored media, increasing evidence of efforts by the state to identify and monitor Bahá’ís and prevention of the Bahá’í faith from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically”.
The UK, through the EU, co-sponsored this resolution.
Israel: Occupied Territories
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Government of Israel about the denial of travel authorisation to Palestinian residents referred for medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip. [184286]
Dr. Howells: According to the World Health Organisation, 216 patients crossed from Gaza to Israel/the West Bank for further treatment via the Erez crossing, which remained open for this purpose, between 18 and 28 January. The UK believes that there is an urgent and pressing need to overcome the obstacles to re-opening all of Gaza’s crossings, for humanitarian goods, trade and people. We are concerned about the lack of access to proper medical care and the difficulty in leaving Gaza to receive treatment. The Quartet (US, EU, UN and Russia) has expressed serious concern over the continued closure of major crossing points. The UN is actively involved in trying to find a solution. The EU has called
“on all parties to work towards an opening of the crossings in and out of Gaza”.
On 17 January, I raised these concerns with the Israeli ambassador. Our embassy in Tel Aviv also continues to raise our concerns on a regular basis. On 21 January, my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development voiced their concerns. In a joint statement, they stated:
“We do not support Israel’s decision to close all crossings to Gaza”.
On 24 January, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called Foreign Minister Livni and reiterated these concerns.
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip in halting rocket attacks on Israeli territory. [184287]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made it clear in a joint statement with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on 21 January that:
“Israeli security and justice for Palestinians will not be achieved by cutting off fuel or by firing rockets. Both sides have a responsibility to support the Peace Process launched at Annapolis. The situation on the ground is an important part of this. Palestinian security efforts and Israel’s reopening of the Gaza crossings need to support each other and the drive for a long-term peace”.
Kenya: Overseas Residence
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to help protect United Kingdom passport holders working as missionaries in Kenya. [183932]
Meg Munn [holding answer 1 February 2008]: All British nationals in Kenya are covered by our high commission’s civil contingency plans. In compiling civil contingency plans, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s objective is to protect British nationals in situations which pose a serious threat to their safety. The plan includes information on the number and location of British nationals in the country and the use of wardens’ networks to communicate with them. To ensure we can effectively communicate any changes in travel advice and other relevant information, British nationals are urged to register with our high commission in Nairobi. They can do this online or by phoning the high commission direct on (00) (254) (20) 284 4000.
Kosovo: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the legal basis for the deployment of the EU's civilian mission to Kosovo. [178912]
David Miliband: We are satisfied that the mission is established on a sound legal basis.
The EU's European Security and Defence Policy rule of law mission to Kosovo will be based on the powers in the treaty on EU, drawing on the authority of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 as well as an invitation by the Kosovo government.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the final decision on the (a) date and (b) modalities of the EU mission for Kosovo will be made; and if he will make a statement. [183381]
David Miliband: We are working intensively with our international partners in the EU and UN to bring the Kosovo status process through to rapid completion.
The political decision to deploy the EU’s European Security and Defence Policy rule of law mission to Kosovo was taken at the European Council on 14 December 2007. The EU underlined that it stands ready to play a leading role in strengthening stability in the region and in implementing a settlement defining Kosovo’s future status.
National Security
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role his Department has played in drafting the National Security Strategy; and if he will make a statement. [184213]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is working closely with the Cabinet Office and other interested Departments and Agencies to produce the National Security Strategy.
Pakistan: Drugs
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what co-ordination the Government is undertaking with the governments of (a) Pakistan and (b) Iran on anti-narcotics policies. [183591]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Government remain committed to engagement with the Governments of both Pakistan and Iran to tackle the flows of opiates from Afghanistan.
The UK has supported the work of the Pakistan government to update its drugs strategy (“Masterplan”) and earmarked US $80,000 of its contribution to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for consultancy input to its development. The UK provides diplomatic and political support to the Pakistan government’s counter-narcotics (CN) work, including through some £800,000 in the last three years to train officers of the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) and to provide them with equipment. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, when he was the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced on 8 March 2006 that the UK had agreed to gift two helicopters to the ANF for CN work. Delivery is expected in the early spring of this year. The UK Serious Organised Crime Agency enjoys operational co-operation with its Pakistani partners on counter-narcotics issues.
The UK has also contributed to the work of the UNODC in Iran. With the support of the Government of Iran, the UNODC has developed a strategy to build international support for tackling drugs demand and trafficking of opiates in Iran. The UK has contributed £500,000 to the UNODC in the last three years for this purpose with a particular focus on the provision of equipment and training of officers combating the trafficking of opiates on Iran’s eastern border with
Afghanistan. Additionally, we have supplied bilaterally some £30,000 of equipment for policing the eastern border.
The Government further engages to support a number of multilateral fora in which the policies and operations of governments in this region are co-ordinated and developed. The Paris Pact, organised by the UNODC, brings together those donor and beneficiary nations which are committed to tackle the drugs flows from Afghanistan to Europe; a database organised by the UNODC collates and co-ordinates the contributions of the donor community and matches these with the identified needs of countries on the trafficking routes. The Afghan government’s work on the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration (GNRD) on CN, agreed in Berlin on 1 April 2004 and in which the UK acts in an observer role, brings together all immediately neighbouring nations and commits them to work with each other and with Afghanistan to develop CN work. The UK is supporting the Ministry of Counter Narcotics’ plans to hold a further GNRD meeting this year.
Terrorism
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK citizens were (a) injured and (b) killed abroad as a result of terrorist activity in each of the last 10 years, broken down by country in which such incidents occurred. [178913]
Dr. Howells: Our records show that the number of UK citizens injured and killed aboard as a consequence of terrorist activity in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the country in which the incidents occurred, is as follows:
| Number of deaths | Number injured | |
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