Thank you for contacting me about judicial harassment of Iran's religious and ethnic minorities.
I view the Iranian Government’s human rights record as appalling, it is one of the worst globally. That is a matter of great sadness, given the richness and diversity of Iranian culture, and the fact that its best traditions accord respect to religious minorities.
President Rouhani pledged to improve the rights and freedoms of the citizens of Iran when he was elected in 2013. He also promised reforms on discrimination against members of ethnic minorities, and greater space for freedom of expression and opinion. However, there has been little evidence of positive change.
The British Government does all it can to encourage the Iranian Government to adopt the kinds of human rights standards that we would expect.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
