The following statements were made to the Canadian Parliament.

Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs: “Reports yesterday that seven leaders of the Baha'i community, who had been detained without access to legal counsel, have now been charged is very troubling. Addressing the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Baha'i in Iran, has been a consistent priority for Canada. … Canada will continue to raise our concerns about the Baha'i and human rights more generally directly with the Government of Iran.”

Irwin Cotler, member of Parliament and former justice minister: “The systematic and systemic abuse of the Baha'i minority in Iran unfortunately manifested itself again this week as seven members of the (Friends in Iran) group, already being held for almost a year in the notorious Evin Prison, were charged on Wednesday with spying for Israel, insulting Islam, and spreading propaganda against the state.. These trumped-up charges also carry the threat of capital punishment, with Iran already being among the world leaders in carrying out the death penalty. What action will the government take to protect this persecuted Baha'i minority and the persecuted prisoners in Iran?”

Lawrence Cannon, minister of foreign affairs: “The government of Canada has been extremely active in terms of human rights in Iran. … Canada led a multinational initiative at the United Nations where we condemned Iran for its human rights behaviour. I can assure members of the House … that we will continue exactly in that direction.”