HL Deb 22 July 2002 vol 638 c2WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What specific steps they and the European Union have taken in the past year to counter the use of capital punishment, torture and other means of repression in Iran. [HL5265]

Baroness Amos

We and EU partners have regularly made clear our concerns about such human rights issues in Iran. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary did so in Iran in September. The EU-sponsored resolution on human rights in Iran, which was put to the Commission on Human Rights in April, included references to both torture and public executions.

We also welcome the fact that the Iranian Parliament has approved a Bill aimed at enforcing the current constitutional prohibition of torture in Iran. Despite initial rejection of the Bill by the Guardian Council, the Parliament intends to resubmit the Bill.

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