Asked by: Satvir Kaur (Labour - Southampton Test)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve freedom of religion for Baháʼís globally.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding.
The continued systematic targeting of the Baha'i community, which includes unfair arrest and detention, land grabs, and denial of burial rights, is unacceptable. We are committed to working with international partners to hold countries to account for its repression of the Bahai's, and other religious or belief minorities, including at the United Nations.
Asked by: Satvir Kaur (Labour - Southampton Test)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the persecution of Baháʼís in (a) Iran and (b) the Middle East.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn any instance of state repression against Baha'is globally. The UK was instrumental in delivering the Iran Human Rights resolution, adopted by the United Nations Third Committee in November 2024, which spotlighted Iran's appalling treatment of Baha'is and called on Iran to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a minority religious group, and to ensure that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief.
We also track the treatment of the Baha'is across the Middle East, including in Yemen through meeting their representatives in the UK and lobbying the relevant authorities. The Government strongly condemns the continued persecution of the Baha'is and other religious minorities. We are working with our international partners to raise these concerns directly with the Houthi authorities and urge the release of all Yemenis detained for their beliefs or nationality.
Asked by: Satvir Kaur (Labour - Southampton Test)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the detention of Mahvash Sabet by Iranian authorities.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn the unfair detention of all religious minorities in Iran. The UK was instrumental in delivering the Iran Human Rights Resolution, adopted by the United Nations Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a minority religious group, and to ensure that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief. We will continue to work with international partners to hold Iran accountable for its severe and unacceptable repression of Baha'is.
Asked by: Satvir Kaur (Labour - Southampton Test)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Brazilian counterpart on the (a) protection of the Amazon rainforest and (b) restoration of rainforest habitats destroyed by wildfires.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK government is boosting its relationships with Brazilian ministers to prioritise the protection of the Amazon. The Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero regularly underline our shared climate ambitions, including protection of the Amazon rainforest, with their counterparts in calls and meetings. The UK also supports a variety of programmes aimed at preventing deforestation and restoring rainforests destroyed by wildfires. In Ecuador and Peru, we are contributing up to £12.3 million through the Andes-Amazon Biodiverse Landscape Fund and in Brazil, through the Amazon Fund (£80 million contributed, £35 million committed).
Asked by: Satvir Kaur (Labour - Southampton Test)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the treatment of the Hazara population in Afghanistan by the Taliban.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to call for the human rights of all Afghans to be protected, including those of Hazara communities, most recently in our statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 27 September. We condemn recent attacks against Hazaras. In line with The Hazara Inquiry report's recommendations, we continue to monitor and document discrimination and abuses against Hazaras, including through our support for the UN Special Rapporteur. Officials from the UK Mission to Afghanistan regularly press the Taliban on human rights abuses and the rights of minorities in Afghanistan.
Asked by: Satvir Kaur (Labour - Southampton Test)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help improve the lives of the Hazara population in Aghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to call for the human rights of all Afghans to be protected, including those of Hazara communities, most recently in our statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 27 September. We condemn recent attacks against Hazaras. In line with The Hazara Inquiry report's recommendations, we continue to monitor and document discrimination and abuses against Hazaras, including through our support for the UN Special Rapporteur. Officials from the UK Mission to Afghanistan regularly press the Taliban on human rights abuses and the rights of minorities in Afghanistan.