Written answers

Thursday, 22 October 2015

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Human Rights Issues

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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315. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or his Department have raised with the Iranian Embassy or with the Iranian authorities the cases of persons (details supplied) who were executed despite being children when the alleged offences took place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37066/15]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Ireland, like our EU partners, has a strong and unequivocal opposition to the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances and accordingly seeks its universal abolition. The reports of the execution of persons who committed crimes as minors by the Islamic Republic of Iran are deeply worrying and I echo the comments made by The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Summary Executions, Cristof Heyns, who stated that ‘these are unlawful killings committed by the State, the equivalent of murders performed by individuals...executing a juvenile offender, especially after a questionable trial, directly contravenes the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iran is a party”.

Ireland regularly raises its grave concerns at the human rights situation in Iran, including particularly the use of the death penalty, with the Iranian Embassy in Dublin and with Iranian officials elsewhere, where appropriate. I repeated these concerns when I met with the Iranian Speaker of the Parliament, Dr Ali Larijani, in Dublin in June.

Amongst our priorities as a member of the UN Human Rights Council is the abolition of the death penalty. Because of our limited resources, we generally find it more practicable to seek to address the matter in principle, rather than try to be active on each individual case.

At the Universal Periodic Review of Iran, at the Human Rights Council in October 2014, Ireland recommended that Iran establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty, and guarantee that no individual under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crime is sentenced to death, in line with its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In March of this year, during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, we again voiced our serious concerns as regards to the high number of executions in Iran, and noted in particular the information in the report that the number of reported executions in 2014 was the highest in the past twelve years. We underlined that our concerns over the death penalty are heightened in relation to fair trial standards.

We will continue to call for the end to the death penalty in Iran, including through bilateral contacts with Iran, with our EU partners and at the UN.

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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316. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the work of his Department and its embassies in raising the criminalisation of same-sex sexual relations in states where it is currently prohibited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37067/15]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTI individuals is a key priority for Ireland in our international human rights advocacy, including our engagement at the UN Human Rights Council, at EU meetings and through our diplomatic network. Ireland attaches importance to combating all forms of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity and we strongly believe that consensual, same-sex relationships should not be criminalised. I am delighted that Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce same sex marriage through a national referendum in May 2015 and I urge other States to follow suit and to promote the rights for LGBTI citizens.

Ireland has been active in progressing the rights of LGBTI persons at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). Ireland identified the advancement of rights for LGBTI persons as a priority for the term of our HRC membership from 2013 to 2015. During these three years we have consistently highlighted discrimination against LGBTI persons and worked with other countries to ensure that this issue is now firmly embedded in the work of the HRC. Most recently, at the 29th session of the Human Rights Council in June 2015, Ireland supported a joint statement led by Colombia on violence and discrimination against individuals on the grounds of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

We also have an opportunity through the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, which involves a peer review of the human rights records of all United Nations members, to raise a range of issues with our UN partners. Ireland has made recommendations in respect of 20 countries specifically on questions relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.

During the Irish Presidency of the EU in 2013, Ireland facilitated and made substantial input into the EU Guidelines on LGBTI issues which were adopted at the meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers (Foreign Affairs Council) on 24 June 2013. The Guidelines provide a concise overview of the human rights issues facing LGBTI persons in third countries, and provide EU officials and diplomats of EU member states, including Ireland, with an overview of the legal and policy framework within which LGBTI rights are protected. They also prioritise areas of concern which can lead to action by the EU; actions such as combating discriminatory laws and policies; combating LGBTI-phobic violence; and the protection of human rights defenders.

Ireland’s Policy for International Development also strongly affirms Ireland’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. Our aid programme supports civil society organisations and human rights defenders who are uniquely placed to ensure that the voices of the most marginalised are heard and that their rights are defended. In addition our Embassies work directly, and in cooperation with other EU member states, to engage with Governments on a range of governance and human rights issues, including the rights of the LGBTI community.

Our diplomatic network has been active in advocacy relating to LGBTI rights; this advocacy has dealt with the issue of decriminalisation, concerns we have about new laws criminalising homosexuality and by supporting civil society organisations that are active in this field, many of whom are operating in very difficult environments.

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