Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of reports of property seizures of people belonging to the Bahai' community in Iran; and if she will make a statement.

Promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief for all is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Addressing reports of expropriation and repossession of land owned by Baha'i communities in Ivel remains important to HMG. The Baha'i community in Iran continue to be systematically discriminated against, harassed, and targeted.

We repeatedly raise human rights issues with the Iranian Government at all appropriate opportunities and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor record. In November 2021, we co-sponsored the annual UN Third Committee resolution on human rights in Iran which called on the Government of Iran to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a recognized or unrecognized minority religious or belief group.