Fine Gael politicians ask Coveney to stop the reopening of Irish embassy in Iran 

A letter to Foreign Affairs Minister says reopening would be 'completely inappropriate' and 'in conflict with our stated objectives on our support for international human rights, women's rights, and the rule of law'

A letter written to Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney asks the minister to halt or cancel the reopening of the embassy, which was closed in 2011 due to the financial crash. Picture: Damien Storan/PA

A group of Fine Gael politicians, including a former minister for foreign affairs, has written to Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney imploring him to stop the reopening of the Irish embassy in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

A letter written to Mr Coveney on Tuesday asks the minister to halt or cancel the reopening of the embassy, which was closed in 2011 due to the financial crash.

The letter, seen by the Irish Examiner, is signed by TDs Charlie Flanagan and John Paul Phelan and Senators Regina Doherty and Mary Seerey Kearney. Mr Flanagan held the office of minister for foreign affairs from 2014 to 2017. The letter says:

For a variety of serious reasons ranging from human rights violations by state actors such as rape, torture, and murder, and the beatings and killings of dissidents, we feel [the reopening] is completely inappropriate and is majorly in conflict with our stated objectives on our support for international human rights, women's rights, and the rule of law.

The treatment of protesters in Iran has sparked calls from Government representatives to stop the reopening. 

Iranian women — and some men — have been protesting against the Iranian government’s severe restrictions on their daily life since late September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.

Speaking in the Dàil last week, Mr Coveney told Mr Phelan that Ireland would watch what was happening in Iran. He had previously told the Irish Examiner that opening the embassy was "not a reward".

Last year, Mr Coveney announced the embassy in Tehran, which was closed during a round of cutbacks in 2012, would reopen by the end of 2023. 

He cited the Government’s Global Ireland strategy, which commits to a doubling of our global impact by 2025.