The Foreign Affairs Committee is today publishing its report “No
prosperity without justice: the UK’s relationship with Iran”. The
report highlights the need for the UK Government to foster a
long-term, international response that addresses Iran’s wider
destabilising activities.
The report recommends a range of measures the UK Government
should take in order to address the impact that the Iranian
state’s actions have had regionally and internationally, and on
the lives of the Iranian people.
Proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC)
The report finds that the actions of the IRGC meet the criteria
for proscription in the Terrorism Act 2000, due to its clear and
enduring support for terrorists and non-state actors working to
undermine stability in the region. It recommends that the Foreign
Secretary and Home Secretary assess the available information on
the IRGC with the intention of proscribing the organisation in
its entirety. This is a logical extension of the existing
restrictions placed on members of the IRGC by the EU's sanctions
regime and would follow the US’ decision to proscribe the IRGC as
a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in 2019.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, , said:
“Proscribing the IRGC in its entirety is a natural next step in
response to the IRGC’s bankrolling and bolstering of terrorism.
The group’s destructive philosophy and violence within Iran and
across the region make a compelling case for it to be singled out
for sanction.”
Replacement of the Nuclear Deal
The report emphasises the need for the UK Government and allies
to work towards the replacement of the JCPOA. The Committee found
that the deal is a ‘shell of an agreement’ and calls on the
Foreign Secretary to outline what a successor to the JCPOA will
seek to achieve, and for the UK to play a leading role in
spearheading its replacement.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat,
said:
“Despite good intentions, the JCPOA was an agreement built on
weak foundations. The slow death of the nuclear deal seems to
have been inevitable and, following the actions in the Majlis, it
now appears beyond repair.
“The UK Government should work to broker a replacement to the
JCPOA which also addresses regional security. The voices of
allies in the region and in Europe, and with the new US
administration, need to come together to ensure a diplomatic
option is available to those in Iran who are looking for a
solution to decades of isolation.”
Acknowledgement of state hostage taking
The report finds that the FCDO’s current approach to consular
disputes is clearly not working, and the UK must acknowledge that
the practice of the Iranian state arbitrarily detaining nationals
amounts to ‘State Hostage Taking’. The report recommends that the
FCDO improve the support offered to individuals taken hostage,
and well as their families, and provide clarity as to which
resources are available.
The UK should play a leading role in shaping a united
international response, using the UK’s position in the UN to
establish an ad hoc Committee to draft a complementary
stand-alone addition to the 1979 Hostages Convention which
defines 'State Hostage Taking' and prohibits its practice. The UK
should also prioritise using Magnitsky sanctions to target
specific Iranian human rights abusers.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat,
said:
“The UK Government must call the arbitrary detention of foreign
nationals what it is: hostage taking. The charges, trials and
convictions of British citizens on Iranian soil are a parody of a
justice system. Using young mothers and retirees as bargaining
chips and leverage is an unacceptable form of diplomacy.
“The FCDO has faced criticism for its apparent inertia and
lacklustre response to state-sponsored hostage taking, and it is
clear that a more decisive, coordinated approach is needed.”
Protection of Iranian people
The report emphasises the Iranian state’s disregard for the human
rights of its citizens and calls on the UK to continue to express
support for those suffering under the violence of the regime.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat,
said:
“The greatest victims of the Iranian regime are the Iranian
people themselves. For too long innocent Iranians have suffered
violence and human rights violations at the hands of their own
government.
“It is right that we continue to call out and sanction this
behaviour, but we need also to demonstrate that we will work with
others to support the Iranian people.”
