HL Deb 24 May 2004 vol 661 c109WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether their dialogue with Iran includes consular or Red Crescent visits to Abrahim Khodabandeh and Jamil Bassam, held in Evin prison. [HL2831]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

We have raised the cases of Mr Khodabandeh and Mr Bassam a number of times on human rights grounds since their deportation from Syria to Iran in June 2003. Our ambassador in Tehran did so most recently on 28 March. The Iranian Government have assured us that the two men are being well looked after. The noble Baroness, Lady Nicholson, who has visited them in Tehran twice, confirms this. The UK has no legal right of consular access as the two men are not British. But we have on a number of occasions urged the Iranian Government to allow a visit by the International Committee of the Red Cross. We do not believe such a visit has taken place so far.