TREATMENT OF YOUCEF NADARKHANI

Early day motion 2929, tabled 27 March 2012 by Lindsay Roy (Labour). Signed by 22 members.

That this House deplores the death sentence for apostasy passed by Iranian courts on the Iranian Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in 2010; further deplores that sentence's confirmation by the Iranian Supreme Court in September 2011; notes with alarm reports that Nadarkhani's case has been sent to the implementation department of the Iranian justice system, which may suggest that Nadarkhani is at imminent risk of execution; praises the efforts of various parties, including the Foreign Secretary, Brazilian Senator Marcelo Crivella, the American Center for Law and Justice, Harris Zafar of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the US, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner, the Slavic Centre for Law and Justice in Russia and the Save Youcef Nadarkhani from Execution Facebook page for their efforts to protect Nadarkhani; further deplores the persecution of Christian converts, Baha'is and atheists in Iran; further deplores all persecution of individuals for their faith or absence thereof in all countries where such persecution occurs; and calls on the Iranian state to immediately lift the sentence and release Pastor Nadarkhani.

Signatures by party: Labour 13, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Alliance 1, Conservative 1, DUP 1, Independent 1, Liberal Democrat 1, Plaid Cymru 1.