§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iranian Government about human rights abuses in Iran. [73300]
§ Mr. FatchettWe and our EU partners frequently raise our concerns over human rights with the Iranian authorities. The EU sponsored United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) Resolution on human rights in Iran was adopted on 18 November 1998. We will also be supporting the EU sponsored UNCHR Resolution due for discussion in Geneva in March. We and our EU partners raised human rights issues during the EU/Iran talks in Tehran in July 1998 and in Vienna in December 1998. We frequently raise this issue also in working level contacts.
In conjunction with our German and Austrian Partners we made a demarche to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 4 October 1998 about the cases of Mr. Dhabihi-Muqaddam and Mr. Najafabadi, two Baha'is who had been sentenced to death. The EU also 602W issued a declaration in December about the killings of dissidents in November/December last year. We welcome the Iranian government's determination to pursue the culprits, and the subsequent arrest of Ministry of Intelligence and Security officials.
§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will provide assistance to the National Council of Resistance of Iran; [73659]
(2) what assessment he has made of the objectives and activities of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. [73294]
§ Mr. FatchettThe Government do not recognise the National Council for the Resistance of Iran, which is a coalition dominated by the Mujaheddin-e-Khalq Organisation (MKO). Despite its claims to be a democratic party, it has a long history of violence. The MKO has been responsible for many acts of terrorism and is closely associated with Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. The Government have taken action to stop people associated with acts of terrorism by the MKO coming to the UK, notably their President elect, Maryam Rajavi. The MKO continues to be listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organisation.
§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact(a) he and (b) his officials have had with the National Council of Resistance of Iran. [73295]
§ Mr. FatchettNeither this nor the previous Government recognise the National Council for the Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Therefore, FCO Ministers and officials avoid contact with member of the NCRI.
§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the(a) trade concessions, (b) credits and (c) loans which the British Government have agreed with Iran since May 1997. [73299]
§ Mr. FatchettThere have been no trade concessions of loans to Iran by HMG in this period. In July 1998 my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced the resumption of export credit guarantee cover for capital goods and service contracts concluded on cash payment terms, and for short term reinsurance for private sector insurers of consumer goods exports. As yet, no cover has been used under these facilities.
§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the numbers of people in Iran put to death since President Khatami came to power. [73298]
§ Mr. FatchettIt is difficult to put an exact figure on the number of executions in Iran since President Khatami's election in May 1997. The latest report of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Special Representative, Maurice Copithorne, estimates that between January and December 1998 155 executions took place. In his report for 1997 it was estimated that 220 executions took place. President Khatami was elected on 23 May 1997.