Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell expressed concern at the imminent trial of the seven Baha’is and stated:

“The Iranian government appears to be increasingly using vaguely worded charges of this nature to target human rights defenders and religious minorities. It is hard not to conclude that these people are being held solely on account of their religious beliefs or their peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression and association.

“The seven Baha'is had to wait over eight months to be notified of the charges against them. They have not been given any access to their lawyer: and their lawyer has not been given access to their case files. This makes it very hard to believe that they will receive a fair trial.

“We have also received disturbing reports of systematic discrimination against and harassment of Baha'is on the grounds of their religion.”