Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
252. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether he will raise the case of a political prisoner in Iran with the Government and embassy of that country, or with his international counterparts (details supplied). [9810/26]
View answer255. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her attention has been drawn to the allegations in relation to the treatment of a political prisoner (details supplied) in Iran; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9891/26]
View answer256. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions she will take to raise the case of a political prisoner in Iran (details supplied) at an EU Council level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9892/26]
View answer257. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions she will take to raise the case of a political prisoner in Iran (details supplied) at an international level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9893/26]
View answer258. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding any engagement she has had with the Irish Ambassador in Iran in relation to the case of a political prisoner in Iran (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9894/26]
View answer259. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding any engagement she has had with the Iranian Embassy in Ireland in relation to the case of a political prisoner in Iran (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9895/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 252, 255, 256, 257, 258 and 259 together.
Ireland has clearly condemned the recent violence, killing and brutal repression of protestors by the authorities in Iran. I reiterated this condemnation most recently at the Foreign Affairs Council on 29 January, and officials in my Department have also conveyed it directly to the Iranian authorities, through their Embassy in Dublin.
I am deeply concerned by the mass arrests of protestors as a means of suppressing political dissent and human rights activism in Iran. While accurate reports as to the numbers killed, injured and detained during and following the recent protests still remain sparse due to the continuing communication blockages by the Iranian authorities, it is clear that many thousands have been killed, with the final toll understood to be over 10,000. We also understand that many more have been injured, and over 50,000 imprisoned. I am also concerned about reports regarding the treatment of those in custody.
Ireland continues to raise our concerns about Iran’s human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora such as the Human Rights Council and the United Nations Third Committee on Human Rights. We, along with our EU partners, will continue to call for all individuals unjustly detained for exercising their fundamental rights during the recent protests to be released.
The significant scale of the killings and arrests, and the continuing communication blockages in Iran, limits the extent to which we can monitor or verify individual cases, including the case raised by the Deputies. We will however continue to share among EU and other likeminded partners such information as we can obtain on specific cases and consider appropriate action, including raising them with the Iranian authorities.
I regret that there is at present very little sign of Iran responding positively in relation to these cases, and there may be instances where raising an individual case could endanger rather than assist that person.
At the Foreign Affairs Council last week, the EU adopted sanctions against some of those responsible for responsible for human rights violations in following the repression of the protests, including the Minister of the Interior. Ireland also joined in calling for a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 23 January. The resolution adopted at that session, and the EU and Irish national statements to the session, clearly state our views on the current situation in Iran and their ongoing violation of human rights. The Council also renewed for two years the mandate of the Independent Fact Finding Mission on Iran, set up by the HRC with Ireland's support in 2022, and charged it to investigate the recent and continuing events.
