Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of press freedom in Iran.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Freedom of expression in Iran is severely restricted. Iran has more journalists in prison than almost any other country. New outlets and online media are heavily censored and the majority of newspapers are now government controlled. We continue to urge Iran to guarantee the rights of all its citizens in line with its international obligations. We most recently raised our concerns around freedom of expression during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review during the UN Human Rights Council on 31 October.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the extent of restriction of access to the internet in Iran.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Iran systematically filters and restricts access to the internet. Millions of websites are blocked, including social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Many Iranian citizens find technical ways around the restrictions but their online activity can put them at risk. In May 2014, eight Iranians were sentenced to a combined 123 years in prison for their Facebook activities. Charges included blasphemy, insulting the Supreme Leader, and spreading propaganda against the system. We urge Iran to allow freedom of expression, and respect the rights of all its citizens in line with its international obligations. We most recently raised our concerns around freedom of expression during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 31 October.Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of religious freedom in Iran.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
In 2013, President Rouhani made a number of comments in support of greater religious freedom in Iran. Unfortunately, there has been no change in Iran’s approach over the past year. Religious minority groups in Iran continue to face widespread discrimination. The UK has repeatedly called on the Iranian government to end all persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith, and to guarantee the human rights of all Iranians.Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on the detention of journalists in Iran.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Freedom of expression in Iran is severely restricted. Iran has more journalists in prison than almost any other country. New outlets and online media are heavily censored and the majority of newspapers are now government controlled. We continue to urge Iran to guarantee the rights of all its citizens in line with its international obligations. We most recently raised our concerns around freedom of expression during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review during the UN Human Rights Council on 31 October.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had (a) with his counterparts from Belgium, France and the Netherlands and (b) in EU fora about the incidence of anti-Semitic attacks in those countries.
Answered by David Lidington
The British Government is committed to combating anti-Semitism wherever it is found and supports the efforts of EU partners to tackle racism in all its forms.
As current Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), we will be discussing the recent rise in anti-Semitism across Europe (and particularly Holocaust denial and denigration) with European partners and others at the IHRA's Plenary Meetings in Manchester in December.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also works very closely with the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, which provides expert advice on tackling anti-Semitism to other EU Member States.
The British Government was represented by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my Hon Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Ms Mordaunt), at the tenth anniversary of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Conference and Declaration on Anti-Semitism, held in Berlin on 13 November. We hope the OSCE as a whole will take note of, and act upon, recommendations made at that conference.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received about Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's nine point plan for the destruction of Israel.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We strongly condemn any suggestions from Iran’s leaders that Israel should be eliminated. We similarly strongly condemn any politically or racially motivated attempts to deny or question the Holocaust, and all anti-Semitic language.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the prospect of Iran neutralising its stockpile of 20 per cent enriched uranium.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The IAEA Director General in his November report on the status of Iran’s nuclear programme reconfirmed that all of Iran’s 20% enriched uranium stockpile has been down-blended to less than 5%, or converted to oxide, in keeping with Iran’s commitments under the Joint Plan of Action.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2014 to Question 211909, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Pakistani government and (b) his EU counterparts on the case of Aasia Bibi.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Since my previous answer the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met Prime Minister Sharif on 13 November and raised our concerns about Pakistan’s blasphemy law. We will continue to raise our concerns about this and similar cases at the highest levels in Pakistan and engage through the EU and likeminded countries to push for progress.Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage Iran to clarify issues relating to possible military dimensions of its nuclear material and implement the additional protocol.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We offer our full support to the IAEA in its efforts to address the possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme. We continue to call on Iran to cooperate fully by providing immediate IAEA access to sites, persons, documents and information as requested by the Agency. In a comprehensive agreement, Iran will need to comply fully with its Additional Protocol to reassure the international community of the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the P5+1 has discussed the future status of sanctions against Iran in the event of a permanent nuclear deal.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Sanctions are a key part of the E3+3 negotiations with Iran. Ultimately, under a comprehensive deal, all sanctions imposed against Iran because of its nuclear programme will be lifted. The speed of sanctions relief will depend on the actions Iran takes to address proliferation concerns.