PERSECUTION OF BAHA'I FAITH IN IRAN

Early day motion 26, tabled 24 November 1998 by Lembit Öpik (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 202 members.

That this House notes the recent execution in Iran of Mr Ruhu'llah Rawhani, a member of the Baha'i faith; notes that a further six male Baha'is, Bihnam Mithaqi, Kayvan Khalajabadi, Musa Tailibi, Dhabihu'llah Mahrami, Sirus Dhabihi-Muqaddam and Hidayat Kashifi-Najafabadi, are under sentence of death in that state; notes that the situation in Iran has widely deteriorated for the Baha'i community as a whole; further notes that Baha'is in Iran are consistently denied basic human rights and are persecuted on grounds of their faith alone and as Iran's largest religious minority, with over 300,000 followers, this constitutes a very grave breach of internationally-recognised norms of human rights; and urges Her Majesty's Government to bring to bear all diplomatic and political pressure upon the government of Iran to repeal the death sentences pronounced upon these six men, none of whom has committed any recognisable crime, and to press the government of Iran to give guarantees to respect the rights of the Baha'i community in that country.

Signatures by party: Labour 119, Liberal Democrat 37, Conservative 23, Labour/Co-operative 6, UUP 6, Plaid Cymru 4, DUP 2, Scottish National Party 2, Independent 1, Independent Labour 1, UKUP 1.