HR 134 Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

 

Thank you for your letter of 27 February, regarding the seven imprisoned Bahá'í's in Iran.

 

We share your concern about the recent reports that seven leading members of the Iranian Bahá'í community, detained since the first half of last year, have been charged with "spying for Israel", "insulting religious sanctities" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic" - charges which could carry the death penalty. We are concerned about the conditions under which they are being detained and by reports that they have been systematically refused access to their lawyer. We understand that the seven individuals are due to face trial in the coming weeks, although the date has yet to be announced.

 

We have called repeatedly for the Iranian government to release the seven Bahá'ís. Now that they have been formally charged we are concerned that they may not receive a fair trial, having been held for so long without due process. On 6 March 2009 Bill Rammell met representatives of the National Spiritual Association of the Bahá'ís of the UK, and assured them that we would continue to monitor the case closely, and would push the Iranians to allow independent observers to be present when they do go to trial. Bill Rammell also issued a statement on 16 February 2009, which was supported by an EU statement on 17 February, expressing our concern and calling for the Iranian government to reconsider the charges brought against these individuals, and at the very least to ensure that any trial is fair. Previously, the EU Presidency, with strong UK support, issued a public declaration on 26 September 2008 which reiterated the EU's concern about the deterioration in freedom of religion and belief in Iran and the growing pressure on religious minorities. The declaration stated that the EU was "deeply disturbed by the arrests since April of Iranian converts to Christianity and members of the Bahá'í community", and called for the "immediate and unconditional release and the cessation of all forms of violence and discrimination against them". The EU also raised the situation of Iranian Bahá'ís on 6 October 2008, in the context of a human rights démarche to the Iranian authorities.

 

We also take action through the UN. In December 2008 a resolution on Iran's human rights situation co-sponsored by all EU countries was adopted by the UN General Assembly for the sixth consecutive year. The resolution expressed deep concern at "serious human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran" and specifically highlighted the plight of the Bahá'í community. This resolution sends a strong unified message of international concern to the Iranian authorities.

 

Officials in the FCO's Iran Co-ordination Group have a good working relationship with the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the UK, who provide us with useful information on the situation of the Bahá'í community in Iran. I can assure you that we remain committed to raising our concerns about the treatment of the seven detained Bahá'ís, both bilaterally and through the EU, and will monitor their situation closely.

 

The human rights situation in general in Iran is extremely worrying. We will continue to urge the Iranian government to take its international human rights obligations seriously, and to uphold the fundamental rights of its citizens, including 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.

 

 

11 March 2009