Iran: Execution of Dissidents and Opposition Activists
(1 day, 23 hours ago)
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Lord McCabe
To ask His Majesty’s Government when the Foreign Secretary last had discussions with Iranian officials regarding the number of dissidents and opposition activists being executed by the Iranian regime.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Winterton of Doncaster) (Lab)
My Lords, Iran’s escalating use of the death penalty, including against protesters and opposition activists, is abhorrent. We condemn these executions as a tool of political repression designed to instil fear and suppress dissent. We have consistently made this clear to Iran, including through UN resolutions and in statements with our like-minded partners. In September, we joined over 40 states to strongly condemn Iran’s use of the death penalty. Iran must immediately establish a moratorium on executions.
Lord McCabe (Lab)
Human Rights Watch reports at least 39 executions over the past eight months, including teenagers, many of them executed for waging war against God. They are often denied legal access and, where lawyers attempt to represent them, they frequently find themselves then arrested. Will the Government do all that they can to raise the plight of these lawyers representing desperate people and continue to condemn in the strongest possible terms these barbaric executions in Iran?
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)
I congratulate my noble friend on raising this issue. It is important that this House speaks with one voice in saying how much we condemn the actions of Iran. We are certainly aware of reports that lawyers representing protesters are threatened with arrest, prosecution or loss of their licence, for representing protesters, as he said. Iran should cease reprisals against lawyers representing protesters. The UK is co-sponsoring the renewal of the Iran human rights resolution at the UN General Assembly Third Committee, and I will undertake to raise the issue of lawyers being threatened during our national statement.
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord McCabe, for bringing up this important issue. As highlighted by the Minister and the noble Lord, Lord McCabe, Iran’s human rights record is appalling. I would like to delve a little further into this. Why did the UK nominate Iran to serve on the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination, a committee that shapes UN priorities, including on human rights?
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)
I thank the noble Earl for that question. The UK Government do not comment on how they vote in secret ballots at the United Nations. That said, we strongly regret that Iran has been elected to the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination. Frankly, Iran’s continuing threats to its regional neighbours, its violation of human rights and its broader destabilising conduct serve to undermine multilateralism and make Iran unfit to serve on a UN body of this nature.
Lord Bruce of Bennachie (LD)
My Lords, later today the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign will present its 2026 outstanding human rights award to Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, the Iranian boxing champion and political prisoner. He will not be able to accept it in London tonight because he remains in prison in Iran under a sentence of death on proceedings that have been condemned as grossly unfair. I thank the Minister for her comments so far. Will the Government raise his case directly and at the highest level with the Iranian authorities and work with our international partners to make it clear that executing him would carry serious diplomatic and political consequences? Finally, given the threat facing women and others on death row, what can we do to make it clear to the Iranian regime that criticism or opposition should not end up on the gallows?
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)
I agree with all the comments that the noble Lord has made. With regard to the action that we can take, I certainly take on board his point about raising this case and re-emphasise that we have repeatedly called on Iran to establish an immediate moratorium on executions. We repeatedly raise the issues with regard to human rights at every level. I certainly undertake to look at the case that he has raised.
Captain of the King’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard and Deputy Chief Whip (Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent) (Lab)
My Lords, we will hear from the Cross Benches, and then we will hear from the independents.
Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)
My Lords, is the Minister aware that 10 more Iranians are at imminent risk of execution, including a 21 year-old woman, Taraneh Rahimi? Will she support the unanimous call of the Joint Committee on Human Rights for the reform of universal jurisdiction so that perpetrators of depredations of this kind can be tried in our courts? Reverting to the question asked by the noble Earl, Lord Courtown, is it not the case that this is not about how we voted in secret but about a nomination to the United Nations committee? It seems to raise serious questions, given that that committee has oversight of issues such as women’s rights.
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)
I have already made clear our view on the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination. I said that we do not believe that this was an outcome we would have wanted to see and that, frankly, we do not believe that Iran is fit to serve on a UN body, but I will take away the points that the noble Lord has made. He is right to say that Iranian women and girls continue to face unacceptable discrimination, including arrest, detention and prosecution for alleged non-compliance with mandatory hijab laws. We regularly raise the treatment of Iranian women and girls in international fora, including the UN resolution at the Human Rights Council and the Third Committee.
The Lord Bishop of Manchester
My Lords, in Manchester, we have not only a large Iranian diaspora but a large Iranian Christian diaspora. Indeed, half a dozen are now priests serving churches in my diocese. Many of them have close family relatives in Iran who are under significant risk if it is known that their relatives in the UK have become Christians and have taken on Christian ministry. Can the Minister tell us what the Government are doing to help provide safe and legal routes for people who are under such threat in Iran to come to safety in the UK?
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)
The right reverend Prelate is right to say that there is deep concern that Iran’s religious minorities, particularly Baha’is and Christians, continue to face significant repression and scapegoating. This has intensified during the ongoing conflict, and there are increasing and disturbing reports, as he says, of the use of asset seizure against religious minorities as a tool of oppression. That is why we were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in January, which renewed the mandate of the special rapporteur and the fact-finding mission to establish the facts. I will take away the point the right reverend Prelate makes about safe and legal routes.
Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)
My Lords, I understand that the traditional position has been for the UK not to set out how it votes at the UN, but right now Iran is organising terror attacks on the Jewish community in the UK and on defence sites, so surely it is time to look at this position again. Australia and Canada have confirmed that they voted against Iran yesterday. Can the Minister tell us why we did not do more to oppose the nomination in April? Will she confirm on the record that we voted against it yesterday? If not, what message does she think this sends to the Jewish community in the UK, our allies in Israel and brave Iranians who are risking their lives to campaign for freedom and democracy?
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)
The noble Lord is right to draw attention to the attacks on Jewish communities. Between March and May, across Europe and in the UK, there was a series of attacks against Jewish communities, journalists and Israeli interests. On 13 July, the Foreign Secretary publicly attributed to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a role in almost certainly directing the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right to carry out attacks across Europe. I assure the noble Lord that we will use every power available to us to tackle the threat posed by the Iranian state, which we know is targeting our Jewish community. As I have said, we do not comment on how we vote, but I think I have made it very clear that we strongly regret that Iran was elected to the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination. I am not sure that I can be much stronger than that, as I have repeated that three or four times here.