Christian persecution not addressed during Simon Coveney’s Iran visit

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney did not address the issue of Christian persecution during his meeting with Iran’s president despite serious concerns about religious freedom for the minority group in the country.

Minister Coveney met with President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Tehran, Iran over the weekend. The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed he did not specifically raise concerns about Christians but did raise human rights issues including “freedom of expression”.

Mr Coveney’s department said his discussions in Iran focused on the Iranian nuclear deal – the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] – as well as regional issues and Ireland-Iran bilateral relations in advance of the re-opening of an Irish diplomatic presence in Tehran.

Regarding other, specific concerns that were addressed, the department told this paper: “In his meeting with Foreign Minister Zarif, Minister Coveney raised concerns over human rights in Iran including use of the death penalty (including for minors), discrimination against the LGBTI+ community, women’s rights, and freedom of expression.

“He also expressed concern that Iran was blocking the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran from visiting the country. The minister urged Iran to engage in further dialogue on human rights issues, both bilaterally and through the EU.”

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 2017 report has continued to designate Iran as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), because the “government of Iran [is] engaged in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused”.

The report’s findings highlight ongoing persecution of Christians and other minorities in the country: “Severe violations targeting religious minorities – especially Baha’is, Christian converts, and Sunni Muslims – [has] continued unabated.”