Matthew was pleased to have the opportunity to speak to over 100,000 people who attended the annual National Council for Resistance in Iran conference in Paris last weekend.

With many constituents in the audience, Matthew spoke about his recent debate in Parliament regarding human rights in Iran. Figures announced by Iran’s state media and verified by international non-governmental organisations reveal that more than 2,400 people, including many juveniles and women, have been executed in Iran under Rouhani’s three-year tenure. Last year alone there were 966 executions—the highest number in the past two decades. According to the UN special rapporteur for Iran, Dr Ahmed Shaheed, the number of executions was roughly double that of 2010, and 10 times that of 2005.

Accompanied by a cross party delegation including Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP Members of Parliament, this year’s UK delegation was the largest group yet. The event comes just days after the establishment in the Houses of Parliament of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Iran Freedom.

Matthew said: “This year we had the largest UK delegation at the Paris gathering we have ever had. It was a great honour to be asked to speak on behalf of the British delegation and it gave me an opportunity to outline to the pressures my colleagues and I are putting on the UK Government following the Iranian nuclear deal last year."