Iran

– in the House of Lords at 2:52 pm on 16 November 2005.

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Photo of Lord Triesman Lord Triesman Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

My Lords, we maintain diplomatic contacts with Iran on a wide range of subjects, including its nuclear programme, human rights, terrorism and regional issues such as Iraq and the Middle East peace process. We have serious concerns about Iran's policies in all these areas. We do not underestimate the difficulty in making progress, but these issues are too important for us to ignore. Our policy is to bring our concerns to Iran's attention, engage Iran in discussion and look for solutions.

Photo of Lord Howell of Guildford Lord Howell of Guildford Spokespersons In the Lords, Foreign Affairs, Deputy Leader, House of Lords, Shadow Minister (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs), Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

My Lords, does the Minister recall the Prime Minister asking the other day, "When are we going to do something about Iran?"? May I put the same question to the Minister: what is our next move? Are we now planning referral to the United Nations and would that do any good or would it merely accelerate uranium enrichment processes inside Iran? And does the Minister recall that the Iranians stole several of our fully equipped new patrol boats about a year ago and never gave them back? Are we ever going to get them back? Is there any move towards compensation or has any other action been taken on that small but symbolic point?

Photo of Lord Triesman Lord Triesman Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

My Lords, when we are asked what we are going to do about Iran next, the usual range of options is open to the United Kingdom. We have gone to the part of the spectrum which reflects the need for diplomatic discussion, for trying to engage those in the Security Council who share our concerns, and we have had some success in doing that with relation to the potential for nuclear proliferation. That is not an easy matter and not everybody co-operates with it, but that seems to us to be the right perspective, which we should pursue.

We have serious concerns about the question of the boats. We are trying to make progress in getting them back and discussions are taking place on that subject at this time.

Photo of Lord Avebury Lord Avebury Spokesperson in the Lords (With Special Responsibility for Africa), Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, Spokesperson in the Lords (Civil Liberties), Home Affairs

My Lords, the Minister will recall that at the IAEA board meeting of 24 September, five requirements were suggested to Iran for safeguards for the non-proliferation treaty. Has the EU3 had an opportunity to discuss those matters with the authorities in Iran, and with what result, or are we relying exclusively on the report which Mr El Baradei is to make to the board meeting next Thursday?

Have any steps been taken to persuade Iran to resume the human rights dialogue with the EU which was supposed to have been held in September but which was then deferred to sine die?

Photo of Lord Triesman Lord Triesman Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

My Lords, with regard to the noble Lord's second question, we are putting pressure on Iran to resume the dialogue, and a number of specific issues, such as areas of human rights abuse, which are probably well known in the House, make the need for that dialogue all the more urgent. At present, the E3 proposals in relation to Iran continue as a freestanding element of what is generally taking place. We have accepted that Iran has a right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, but we have also offered European support to Iran to develop a safe, economical, viable and proliferation-proof civil nuclear power generation and research programme on the condition that the Paris agreement is maintained, that the seals on the current facilities are retained and that no attempt is made to move from the nuclear fuel cycle into a military cycle. We are trying to be proactive and helpful in those areas, but we will not allow the proliferation abuse to continue.

Photo of Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Labour

My Lords, can my noble friend assure us that in the welter of concerns about Iran—he has described them in relation to the Middle East and the nuclear capability of that country—we are also making bilateral representations on the specific question of the public execution of young people under the age of 18 who allegedly have been found guilty of sexual misdemeanours? I am thinking particularly of young women, who allegedly suffered this penalty in public in a way that most of us find completely repellent.

Photo of Lord Triesman Lord Triesman Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

My Lords, we are making representations on those subjects. There is a dispute about how many are involved but a number of young people—not only women but also people under the age of 18—who were alleged to have committed crimes have been executed. The European Council has been engaged and has agreed a statement, which the United Kingdom with the presidency of the EU has also backed directly, expressing the EU's deep concern. We have called on Iran to clarify the position immediately. It is a contravention of Article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and we are pursuing those with great vigour.

Photo of Lord Alton of Liverpool Lord Alton of Liverpool Crossbench

My Lords, following a visit to the camps on the Iran/Iraq border, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Slynn of Hadley, put forward authoritative findings and called for the de-proscription of the Iranian resistance. What consideration is being given to the noble and learned Lord's recommendations? Does he not agree that it is a paradox that we recognise a state where, as the noble Baroness said, women and children are publicly executed and where the president has called for the wiping out of the state of Israel while we proscribe the democratic resistance that is seeking to build a civil society and a plural society inside Iran?

Photo of Lord Triesman Lord Triesman Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

My Lords, it is hard to identify viable forces among the opposition in Iran. When this question has been asked before, I have been constrained to say that the opposition that we have been asked to recognise has been proscribed under the anti-terror legislation. If it is helpful to noble Lords, I am willing to set out the sequence of events which led to that proscription rather than do so in an Answer in this House. However, I think that the evidence is compelling.

Photo of The Bishop of Oxford The Bishop of Oxford Bishop

My Lords, the Minister mentioned a range of very serious concerns and I wonder whether I can ask him about another one. While in this country, a number of Iranian asylum seekers have become members of the Christian Church. They are afraid to go back but very often are sent back. Will the Minister raise with the Iranian Government the question of asylum seekers who become Christians during their time in this country and return to Iran?

Photo of Lord Triesman Lord Triesman Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

My Lords, I am very willing to ensure that I, or another Minister as appropriate, raise those questions. We have major concerns about the situation of religious minorities in Iran, including the Christian community, and we have made it clear to the Iranian authorities that we believe that the persecution of individuals on grounds of their religious beliefs is unacceptable. We are particularly concerned about converts, and I will ensure that the point is made with great force.