Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the gender-related policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran before supporting its election to the UN’s Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women of the Commission on the Status of Women; whether, before supporting its election to the Working Group, they took account of the reported sentencing by a court in Iran of the human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotudeh, to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes; and whether the gender-related policies of that country are consistent with their objective of promoting gender equality.

The UK has serious concerns about Iran's human rights record, including with respect to women's rights. The UK did not support the Islamic Republic of Iran's election to the UN's Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women. Iran was nominated by the Asian Group without objection; there is no mechanism for Member States to object to the nomination of a representative from another UN regional group. Separately, the Foreign Secretary publicly shared his concerns on 12 March in relation to Nasrin Sotoudeh's sentence, stating that 'human rights must be defended, not prosecuted'.