Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Let me begin by thanking both our witnesses for their excellent presentation. We on this committee for human rights are very much concerned about the situation that's taking place in Iran.
Before I ask the question, I would like to make a few remarks. We have heard over and over again, both from different human rights organizations and from people in the diasporas of Iran, who have complained about the enormous human rights atrocities, such as arresting and detaining journalists, union activists, and students; depriving people of their language and their education; and persecuting religious minorities from the Bahá'í or Christian faiths. We have also heard over and over again the rhetoric and seen the actions of a very genocidal government that wants to destroy the Jewish people throughout the world and the state of Israel. These are alarming concerns to us here in Canada, which require the international community to focus its attention on what to do about the situation in Iran.
We also know about the persecution of linguistic minorities. We talked about the Azerbaijani community that came forward, and we're very much concerned about them. We also know that the Balochi community as well has been persecuted, not just in Iran but also in Pakistan. I know the Balochi community in Pakistan is also under persecution and also does not have access to their linguistic rights and cultural rights that should be accorded to all people.
We are very concerned, and we very much would like to ask the questions arising from this testimony on the various cases of arrest and detention of union leaders and journalists. We had, of course, our own Canadian journalist who was murdered in Iran. Minors have been executed for reasons including their sexual orientation. Two young people were executed in Iran. We also know that gays and lesbians are persecuted on a regular basis in Iran.
Given that, I want to hear what both of you think are some concrete things we as a committee could do to advance these human rights issues so that we can in fact get the international audience to listen about the atrocities that are taking place in that country. We need to have a clear focus and perspective that we as a community are not just closing our eyes. We see that there are gross violations of human rights, and we have to act, but we also need your support, and we thank you very much for the work you are already doing on human rights.
Mr. Chair, to speed things up, maybe we can hear from Fakhteh first, and then while the translator speaks to Ahmad, he could answer the second part, if that makes it easier.