To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the Iranian authorities regarding (a) the conduct of the trials of Ahwazi Arabs and (b) the recent sentencing of 11 men to death by the Revolutionary Court; and if she will make a statement.

We have been closely monitoring the case of the Ahwazi Arabs, who have been sentenced to death recently for their alleged role in terrorist activities in Ahwaz, last year.

We oppose and condemn the death penalty in all its forms. In this case, we have specific concerns about the conduct of the trial including whether it was held secretly behind closed doors; whether a jury was present; and whether the defendants had adequate access to lawyers before the trial.

The presidency of the EU raised our concerns about this case with the Director General of the International Department of the Judiciary on 20 November and highlighted the EU's long-standing objection to the death penalty in all its forms. We will continue to monitor this case closely with EU colleagues.