David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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125. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views with regard to the situation of the Baha’is community in Iran; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23393/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The human rights situation in Iran remains a matter of serious concern. This includes freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of peaceful assembly, arbitrary arrest, and torture in detention, among others. There are concerns in particular about the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities, political activists, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, labour rights activists, artists and environmentalists. Human rights issues therefore continue to constitute an important part of our engagement and dialogue with Iran.

Discriminatory practices with respect to employment, education and access to other basic services, continue to affect Baha’i and other minority groups in Iran. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has reported on the fact that members of minorities can be subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention for engaging in peaceful advocacy for their rights in Iran.

Ireland has consistently called for the end of the systemic discrimination of the Baha’i people in Iran. Ireland has regularly raised the issue in our interventions at the Human Rights Council and at the General Assembly. Ireland consistently calls on Iran to ensure full respect for its international human rights obligations and take all necessary steps to protect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, making particular reference to the Baha’i community.

We also raise the human rights situation of the Baha’i community directly in our bilateral interactions with the Iranian authorities, including with the Iranian Embassy in Dublin. Ireland, along with the EU, will continue to raise issues in relation to religious minorities in Iran and to make clear our concerns to the Iranian authorities at every appropriate opportunity.