Foreign Secretary summons Iranian diplomat following executions

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has summoned Iran’s most senior diplomat after the regime executed two more protestors.

Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini were executed by the Iranian authorities over the weekend, prompting widespread international condemnation. The UN responded to the executions by saying they followed ‘unfair trials based on forced confessions’.

The UK has repeatedly called on the regime to end the use of the death penalty, both publicly and directly with Iranian officials.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Today I have summoned the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires to condemn in the strongest possible terms the abhorrent executions we witnessed over the weekend.

The Iranian regime must end its campaign of brutal repression and start listening to the concerns of its people.

Stephen Hickey, Director Middle East and North Africa at the FCDO, held the meeting with Mehdi Hosseini Matin and underlined the UK’s opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances.

Since the death of Mahsa Amini, the UK has imposed more than 40 human rights sanctions including on leading political, judicial and security officials in Iran, for their role in serious human rights violations.

Further background:

• On 9 December the UK sanctioned 10 Iranian officials connected to Iran’s judicial and prison systems. This includes 6 individuals linked to the Revolutionary Courts that have been responsible for prosecuting protestors with egregious sentences including the death penalty:

• On 14 November the UK announced sanctions on 24 leading political and security officials involved in the current crackdown on protestors.

• On 10 October, the UK designated the Morality police in its entirety, as well as its leader and five other officials responsible for human rights violations in Iran.

• The Foreign Secretary has already summoned the Iranian Charge d’Affaires on three separate occasions – 8 December following execution of a protestor, 11 November following threats made against journalists in the UK and 3 October in response to the start of the crackdown.