Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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33. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of the discussion at the recent UN Human Rights Council of the report of the findings of the group of eminent experts on Yemen; if action has been agreed among the members of the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40307/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, Ireland was part of a small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption by consensus of a Resolution establishing a Group of Eminent Experts (GEE) on Yemen. The mandate of this group was to carry out investigations into all alleged violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by all warring parties in Yemen. The GEE presented its findings to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in a report published on 29 August 2018. The report strongly suggested that violations and crimes under international law have been perpetrated in Yemen since 2014. However the report also noted the limited time, access and resources that the experts had in order to carry out their work and that many incidents and alleged violations committed by all parties have not yet been fully documented.

Given the gravity of the situation in Yemen, Ireland and our core group partners believed it was important to give the Group of Eminent Experts more time to fully examine the conflict and to ensure that their conclusions comprehensively reflect the conduct of all parties in future reporting.

In light of this, Ireland once again worked with a core group of countries to bring forward a resolution which sought to extend the mandate of the GEE, in order to allow the group more time to continue its vital work. Last week, although there was unfortunately not full consensus on the issue, the Human Rights Council voted in favour of extending the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts for a further period of one year, and requested that the Group submit a comprehensive written report to the High Commissioner for presentation next September, at the forty-second session of the Council.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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34. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the ambassador to Saudi Arabia can make representations to the authorities there regarding the escalation in the persecution of the Baha'i in Yemen and in particular the possible public execution of a person (details supplied) for their religious beliefs. [40119/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of reports of increasing harassment and detention of members of the Baha’i community in Yemen on account of their faith. I am also aware of the specific case referred to by the Deputy, of a Baha’i individual who has been sentenced to death by the Houthi de facto authorities. While we do not have all the details of the case, I am concerned that this person appears to have been sentenced on the basis of his religious beliefs. Ireland calls on all parties in Yemen to immediately release all Baha’i detained due to their religious belief, and to cease the harassment to which they are subjected.

Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are. The promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief is and will continue to be a priority for Ireland’s engagement on human rights issues. Ireland is also unequivocal in our position regarding the universal abolition of the death penalty. Most recently, at the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council, we reaffirmed our strong opposition to capital punishment in all circumstances and for all cases, expressing our deep concern at its continued use by States.

Ireland has regularly raised our concern regarding the persecution of the Baha’i at the Human Rights Council and the United Nations General Assembly. Most recently, Ireland raised concerns with regards to the persecution of the Baha’i at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2018 during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief.

While Ireland’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia is also accredited to Yemen, the Irish Government does not have any contact with the Houthi de facto authorities, against whom the accusations have been made of the persecution of the Baha’i community. Unfortunately, the Government is not in a position to make representations to non-state actors in Yemen in relation to their actions. We have therefore focused our efforts on this issue in multilateral fora, to increase international awareness of the issue.

My Department will continue to monitor the situation closely, and will remain in contact with representatives of the Baha’i community in Ireland, who are represented on the Department of Foreign Affairs Committee on Human Rights, and with whom they have discussed the situation of Baha’i in Yemen, and