Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

An in-depth story published in the Chronicle of Higher Education details the struggle for Baha’i youth to get a college education in Iran. It explains how the U.N. Human Rights Commission’s special representative on Iran in 1993 revealed a memorandum from an Iranian government official setting out a national policy that all Baha’is should be expelled from universities once their religious beliefs are known. The article then describes the perseverance of volunteers that formed the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education, a distance-learning program, in the face of such discrimination. Many of the institute’s graduates have since gone on to study at prestigious Western universities. The story also delves into the recent crackdown on the Baha’i institute, with several Baha’i educators arrested last year and sentenced to 4- and 5-year prison terms.

From the Chronicle article, posted online Sunday:

Despite its uncertain future and the regime’s ever-tightening noose, the institute’s faculty will press on. “This is a matter of principle for the Bahais,” said Behrouz Sabet, a Capella University faculty member and board member of the Council for Global Education, who has been assisting the institute with research and curriculum design for more than 20 years. “They have no other choice. Public employers do not hire them, and the private sector is closed off as well. The BIHE is the only hope they have.”

Tags: Baha'i Institute for Higher Education, Behrouz Sabet, BIHE, Chronicle of Higher Education, Council for Global Education

Members of the Iranian Baha’i community’s former leadership group start their fifth year in prison today as persecution of the religious minority has intensified.

The five men and two women formed a national-level ad hoc group that helped attend to the needs of Iran’s 300,000-member Baha’i community. They were sentenced in August 2010 to 20 years in jail.

The seven Baha'i prisoners, photographed several months before their arrest, are, in front, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet. Sabet was detained on March 5, 2008. Her six colleagues were arrested in raids on their homes on May 14, 2008.

The men are held in Gohardasht prison, about 30 miles west of Tehran, and the women are in Evin prison in Tehran. The conditions in these prisons are harsh, with poor food and bad sanitation, said Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva. Most of the seven have had serious health problems, but they have not been granted any type of leave, which is something prisoners are entitled to under Iranian law.

“It is very unfortunate that for the fourth year in a row, we find these seven individuals in prison with no sign of an imminent release,” said Anthony Vance, director of the Office of Public Affairs for the Baha’is of the United States. “This is despite the unprecedented level of consensus reached by the international community over the last year, particularly at the United Nations, regarding their innocence. It is one of the purest cases of persecution based solely on religion or belief in today’s world.”

The fourth anniversary of the seven former Baha’i leaders’ incarceration coincides with intensifying persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran. A recent letter from the international governing body of the Baha’i community noted how even children have been subject to cruelty. A 2-year-old boy was put behind bars with his mother for a few days, a student’s hand was beaten and burned by her teacher because she did not participate in congregational prayers, and two young children witnessed officials violently abduct their mother.

“The Iranian government has stepped up its persecution with roughly twice the number of Baha’is in prison, about 109 currently, as there were two years ago,” Vance said.

Meanwhile, the international community has continued to speak out against the persecution and unlawful incarceration of the former Baha’i leaders. Last month, the human rights group United4Iran coordinated a campaign in 12 major cities around the world that used mobile billboards, buses, bicycles, a canal boat and T-shirts to call for the release of the Baha’i prisoners. That initiative on April 1, 2012 marked 10,000 cumulative days in prison for the seven Baha’is.

On March 29, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution calling for the release of the seven former Baha’i leaders. That was nine days after the release of the 2012 annual report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which asked U.S. officials to do the same. In February, MPs in Australia called upon the Iranian parliament to seek a judicial review of the trial of the seven Baha’is. In January, members of Parliament in the UK sharply criticized Iran’s human rights violations and expressed concern for the imprisoned leaders.

More information about the seven Baha’i leaders, including a chronology of events, can be found here: http://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/

The letter from the Baha’i international governing body, which was addressed to the Baha’i community in Iran, can be read in Persian here: http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/910_Iranmessage.pdf

Tags: Baha'is of Iran, Baha'is of the United States, Evin prison, Gohardasht prison, Yaran

This past weekend, Voice of America Persian aired the “Education Under Fire” documentary with a Persian language voice-over. The film describes how members of the Baha’i Faith in Iran have been denied access to higher education for three decades by the government. It is a story of resilience in the face of oppression.

Here is a clip of the 30-minute documentary dubbed in Persian.

Tags: Baha'is of Iran, Education Under Fire, Voice of America

Reza Allahmehzadeh, an award-winning documentary filmmaker who is a Dutch-Iranian national, has produced a documentary about the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran entitled “Iranian Taboo.” Allahmehzadeh, who is not a Bahá’í, was banned from entering his homeland, so he asked his friends to film inside Iran.

The film has already been screened in several places in North America and in Europe, including the Netherlands, where Allahmehzadeh lives for part of the time.

The film will be shown in San Diego, Dallas and the San Francisco area (Berkeley, California) this Thursday, May 3. It will also be screened in New York City and the Washington, D.C. area (Bethesda, Maryland) on Thursday, May 17. See below for screening dates, times and locations in each city.

May 03, 2012 – SAN DIEGO – “Iranian Taboo” – Hillcrest Cinema

May 03, 2012 – DALLAS – “Iranian Taboo” – The Magnolia (Landmark)

May 03, 2012 – SAN FRANCISCO AREA – “Iranian Taboo” – California Theatre

May 17, 2012 – WASHINGTON, DC AREA – “Iranian Taboo” – Bethesda Row Cinema

May 17, 2012 – NEW YORK CITY – “Iranian Taboo” – Sunshine Cinema

Tags: Baha'is of Iran, Iranian Taboo, Reza Allahmehzadeh

The president of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York has written an open letter calling upon Iran to reaffirm the rights of Iranian lawyers to practice their profession without governmental interference and to release prominent defense attorney Abdolfattah Soltani.

Abdolfattah Soltani

Soltani has been in prison since he was arrested on Sept. 11, 2011. He was the senior member of a legal team representing prisoners accused of threatening national security by teaching academic subjects such as biology and architecture to Baha’i youth who were not allowed to go to college due to their beliefs.

Soltani is not a Baha’i, but he has defended Baha’is and other human rights cases in Iran. He was also incarcerated in 2006 and 2009. Soltani was one of four lawyers, including Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, to establish the Defenders of Human Rights Center.

The New York City Bar Association’s president, Samuel W. Seymour, wrote the letter to Mohammad Khazaee, Iran’s representative to the United Nations, in February on behalf of the independent professional organization’s 23,000 members from New York and around the world.

The letter noted that, as of September of 2011, some 42 attorneys had faced government prosecution since 2009, according to a report from the U.N. Special Rapporteur for the situation of the Human Rights in Iran.

Read the full text of the open letter in English and Persian.

Tags: Abdolfattah Soltani, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Defenders of Human Rights Center, Mohammad Khazaee, New York City Bar, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, Samuel W. Seymour, United Nations

The Education Under Fire initiative has announced the release of ”A Voice for the Voiceless: Roxana Saberi” – the latest installment in the “Angels of Iran” documentary series. These short videos are personal stories of courage and resilience in the face of torture, imprisonment and execution in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“A Voice for the Voiceless” is the story of Roxana Saberi’s time in prison with Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamalabadi, two of The Yaran (“the Friends”), who were sentenced to 20 years in prison simply for helping administer the
needs of the Baha’i community in Iran. The video features journalist Roxana Saberi and Elise Auerbach, Iran specialist for Amnesty International.

“I think the lessons that Mahvash and Fariba taught me in prison are universal,” Saberi said. ”And they can apply to anybody, anywhere in the world. You don’t have to be in prison. We have our own prisons, our own adversities, and we can try to turn those adversities into opportunities.”

View all the “Angels of Iran” videos at www.educationunderfire.com/angels-of-iran.

Visit www.educationunderfire.com/25 to become part of the DRIVE TO 25 initiative, which invites supporters of human rights everywhere to add their names to the ever-growing list of signatories who have taken action for the Baha’is in Iran. A little more than 1,000 additional signatures are needed to reach the goal of 25,000.

Post these links to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Earlier this month, people gathered in 12 cities around the world to support a mobile billboard campaign urging the Iranian government to free the seven Baha’i leaders. The event on April 1 marked a cumulative 10,000 days of imprisonment for them.

Here is a video that stitched together footage from the events held in London, England; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Sydney, Australia; New Delhi, India; Berlin, Germany; Brasilia, Brazil; Johannesburg, South Africa; Paris, France; and Washington, D.C., United States. A Persian-language video of the events can be seen here.

Click here to send a letter urging Iran to free the Baha’i prisoners. More than 500 “e-letters” have been sent out.

Read more about the campaign, which was coordinated by the human-rights organization United4Iran, here and here.

Tags: Baha'is of Iran, Baha'is of the U.S., United4Iran

The Education Under Fire initiative today announced the release of For Kurdistan, the Soraya Fallah Story – the latest installment in the seven-part “Angels of Iran” documentary series. These short videos are personal stories of courage and resilience in the face of torture, imprisonment and execution in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“For Kurdistan” is a profile of Iranian-Kurdish human rights activist and researcher, Soraya Fallah, with her daughter Cklara Moradian. Soraya was imprisoned four times and tortured so severely that she miscarried in solitary confinement. As her daughter says, “My parents are my heroes. They are incredibly resilient. Very few people have gone through as much as they have and have come out of it so strong and so passionate.”

View all the “Angels of Iran” videos at www.educationunderfire.com/angels-of-iran.

Visit www.educationunderfire.com/25 to become part of the DRIVE TO 25 initiative, which invites supporters of human rights everywhere to add their names to the ever-growing list of signatories who have taken action for the Baha’is in Iran.

Post these links to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Tags: Angels of Iran, Cklara Moradian, Education Under Fire, Iran, Kurdistan, Soraya Fallah

The “Belief Behind Bars” reception on Feb. 15, 2012 in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center drew a crowd of over 100 congressional staff members, State Department staff members, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and local community members.

Read more about the event here.

Tags: Baha'i Institute for Higher Education, Baha'is of Iran, Baha'is of the U.S., Cler Baheri, Felice Gaer, Naim Sobhani, State Department, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, U.S. Congressman Howard Berman, U.S. Congressman Michael Grimm, U.S. Congressman Robert Dold, Victoria Alvarado

People gather for a photograph outside the U.S. Capitol with a mobile billboard marking the seven Baha'i leaders' combined 10,000 days of incarceration.

The image of the seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Iran could be seen across the globe on mobile billboards, T-shirts, buses, bicycles and a canal boat. The international action on Sunday, April 1, marked their cumulative 10,000 days in prison.

In Washington, D.C., about 33 people came to the Washington Mall near the U.S. Capitol to express their solidarity with the imprisoned former leadership group of the Baha’is in Iran. The group that gathered was diverse in age and background. Each wore a black and white T-shirt saying “Free the Baha’i Seven,” which included drawn images of the seven.  Several were interviewed on camera about the reasons for their participation in the event.

Similar events were held on the same day in India, the Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil, England, Germany, New Zealand, France and Australia.

The seven Baha’i prisoners are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm. Before they were arrested in 2008, they were members of an ad-hoc national-level group which attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i community. They are each serving 20-year jail terms. They have denied the charges of espionage, propaganda against the Islamic republic and the establishment of an illegal administration.

“The seven were, and remain, totally innocent of any wrongdoing,” said Bani Dugal, the Baha’i International Community’s principal representative to the United Nations.

“Ten thousand days of their lives have literally been stolen from them forever – days which they would have dedicated to the service of their fellow countrymen,” she said. “The day is long overdue when these prisoners are freed to be able to make their contribution to the country they love.”

The campaign was coordinated by the human-rights organization United4Iran. Read more about the global action here.

Click here to send a letter urging Iran to free the Baha’i prisoners.

Tags: Afif Naeimi, Baha'i International Community, Bani Dugal, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mahvash Sabet, Saeid Rezaie, United4Iran, Vahid Tizfahm

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate yesterday passed a resolution condemning the government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of the Baha’is, the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority.

The measure, which passed Thursday, March 29, by unanimous consent, calls on Iran to immediately release all prisoners held solely on the basis of their religion and urges the president and secretary of state to sanction Iranian officials and others directly responsible for these human rights violations.

Introduced last year by U.S. Senators Mark Kirk and Richard Durbin, Senate Resolution 80 cites reports from the State Department and the United Nations Secretary-General that detail the situation of the Baha’is in Iran.

“It is past time for the state-sponsored religious persecution of the Baha’is in Iran to come to an end,” Senator Durbin said. “The Baha’i community in Iran deserves the same basic human rights enjoyed by the Baha’i community in Illinois. The passage of this resolution affirms that the American people stand with the Baha’i in their quest for some of our most basic human rights: security and religious freedom.”

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, more than 200 Baha’is in Iran have been killed. Many others have been arrested and had their homes raided and property confiscated. The Baha’is continue to face discrimination such as denial of employment, government benefits and access to higher education.

The Iranian government has prevented Baha’is from gathering in homes to worship. Baha’is there are banned from government and military leadership posts, the social pension system, and public schools and universities unless they hide their beliefs.

“This resolution sends a strong message that the U.S. will hold the Iranian government accountable for violating the basic human rights of its people,” said a spokesperson for Senator Kirk.  “With this legislation, the U.S. Senate stands in solidarity with the Iranian Baha’i community.”

The seven Baha’is arrested in 2008 are, seated from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet. All are from Tehran. The photograph was taken several months before their arrest.

In March and May 2008, intelligence officials in Mashhad and Tehran arrested the seven members of an ad-hoc national group that attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i community. Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mahvash Sabet and Vahid Tizfahm were sentenced in August 2010 by the Revolutionary Court in Tehran to 20 years in prison.

The seven leaders were charged with “spying for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, propaganda against the regime and spreading corruption on earth.” Their lawyer, Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Laureate, was denied meaningful and timely access to them and their files.

“Everyone should be free to practice their faith without persecution or government interference,” said Congressman Dan Lipinski. “With this resolution, we are sending a message that America continues to stand for the vital principle of religious freedom.”

The resolution also condemns the government of Iran for its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.

“It is important that we continue to shine a bright light on the human rights abuses taking place inside Iran,” said Congressman Robert Dold. “This Iranian regime continues to imprison, oppress, and harass the Baha’i community of Iran, and these actions must not be ignored.  I applaud Senator Kirk for his steadfast leadership on this issue, and I hope we will continue to build on the resolution’s significant support in the House so that it can pass this chamber as well.”

Read an article from AFP on the Senate action.

A list of the 31 co-sponsors to the Senate resolution can be found here.

Click here to learn how to contact your congressman about co-sponsoring a similar resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tags: Afif Naeimi, Baha'is of Iran, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Fariba Kamalabadi, Haleh Rouhi Jahromi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mahvash Sabet, Navid Khanjani, Raha Sabet Sarvestani, Saeid Rezaie, Sasan Taqva, Senate Resolution 80, Shirin Ebadi, U.S Senator Mark Kirk, U.S. Representative Dan Lipinkski, U.S. Representative Robert Dold, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, Vahid Tizfahm

A mobile billboard bearing the image of the seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Iran will be making the rounds of the iconic sites of Washington, D.C., this Sunday to mark their 10,000 cumulative days in prison.

The United States capital is one of 12 cities around the world participating in the April 1 campaign calling for the release of these prisoners of conscience.

Prior to their arrests in 2008, the seven were members of an informal national-level group that attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i community. They were each sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment after six brief court sessions characterized by a lack of due legal process.

“It is clear that these individuals have done nothing wrong and are imprisoned solely for their faith,” said Director of External Affairs for the U.S. Baha’i community Anthony Vance. “It is ironic and unfortunate that the government has imprisoned people who are so oriented towards service to their country in a totally apolitical, nonpartisan fashion.”

The group was held without charges in Tehran’s Evin prison for about 20 months when a trial began on Jan. 12, 2010. They were charged with, among other things, espionage, propaganda against the Islamic republic, the establishment of an illegal administration – charges that were all rejected completely and categorically by the defendants.

Former imprisoned activist and hiker Sarah Shourd, who is now the political prisoner advocate for human rights nonprofit United4Iran, had a touching encounter with one of the imprisoned Baha’i leaders.

“Fariba Kamalabadi and I were being led blindfolded to the prison clinic. We were walking in single file and the first thing she did was reach out and rub my back affectionately. She smiled at me, whispering that she was sorry that I was alone, then hastily told me who she was,” Shourd said. “Later, when I was released and was able to learn more about the seven Baha’i leaders, who are being held without proper legal representation or a fair trial, I was even more astounded by Fariba’s kindness and bravery that day.”

Shourd is joining the call for the release of Kamalabadi and her colleagues, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Vahid Tizfahm.

“They are being held solely for their religious beliefs, for demanding the right of Baha’is to civil rights and an education,” Shourd said. “The Iranian government is in severe contradiction of international law regarding these cases and they must all be released immediately.”

The five men are currently serving out their sentences at Gohardasht prison, some 30 miles west of Tehran. The two women are in Evin prison after previously being held in Gohardasht and a brief stay in appalling conditions at Qarchak prison.

In an initiative coordinated by United4Iran, mobile billboards depicting the prisoners are expected to be on display in locations including Amsterdam, Netherlands; Berlin, Germany; Brasilia, Brazil; Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg in South Africa; London, England; Paris, France; Sydney, Australia; Wellington, New Zealand. In New Delhi, India, organizers are expected to hold a peace march with banners from the Baha’i temple to the ISKON temple in Delhi.

The large image of the Baha’i prisoners featured on the billboards and banners is constructed of smaller photographs of hundreds of people currently jailed in Iran, including journalists, trade unionists, student and women’s activists, religious leaders and opposition leaders.

“We hope this action will bring worldwide attention to the plight of the seven Baha’i leaders, and also remind us of all other prisoners of conscience who remain behind bars and who need our unwavering support on their behalf,” said Firuzeh Mahmoudi, United4Iran’s director and founder.

“Those of us with the ability to speak out need to be the voices of those who have been silenced. It is important for us to continue pushing against the persecution of religious minorities in Iran who continue to be subject to arbitrary arrest, persecution and unjust sentences,” she said.

Bani Dugal, the Baha’i International Community’s principal representative to the United Nations, said, “The seven were, and remain, totally innocent of any wrongdoing. Ten thousand days of their lives have literally been stolen from them forever – days that they would have dedicated to the service of their fellow countrymen. The day is long overdue when these prisoners are freed to be able to make their contribution to the country they love.”

HOW TO HELP (updated): The group is meeting at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 1, near the U.S. Capitol Building on New Jersey Avenue near Constitution Avenue to pose for pictures with the mobile billboard. You must enter the parking area on New Jersey Avenue (between C Street and Constitution Avenue) from the C Street side. You can park on the weekend in the spaces that are marked “SAA Authorized Permit Parking Only.”

Tags: Afif Naeimi, Baha'i International Community, Baha'is of Iran, Baha'is of the U.S., Bani Dugal, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mahvash Sabet, Saeid Rezaie, Sarah Shourd, United4Iran, Vahid Tizfahm

Baha'is connected to the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education in Iran and representatives of the American Baha'i community meet with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on Feb. 16, 2012.

Iran continues to systematically violate the right to religious freedom, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The commission condemned the Iranian government for discriminating against its citizens on the basis of their beliefs, using imprisonment, torture and executions. The annual report, published Tuesday, describes how conditions have worsened for the country’s religious minorities, such as the Baha’is, Christians and Sufi Muslims. But even those protected under Iran’s constitution — including Jews, Armenian and Assyrian Christians and Zoroastrians — have come under attack.

The report recommended the U.S. government continue to identify Iranian officials who are responsible for the religious freedom violations and sanction them with asset freezes and travel bans. The commission also urged the U.S. to continue to speak out about the abuses and work with allies in Europe and elsewhere to also sanction the officials.

Regarding the Baha’is, the commission noted almost 100 Baha’is are in jail because of their beliefs — the first time so many have been in prison since the period following the 1979 Islamic revolution. In the past year, several cases of arson were reported at businesses and properties owned by Baha’is, but the police made no arrests. The report also documented the desecration of Baha’i cemeteries, a de facto ban preventing Baha’is from attending universities and propaganda vilifying the Baha’is in the government-controlled media.

Last month, representatives of the Baha’i community met with members of the commission to discuss the persecution of Baha’is associated with the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education.

Tags: Baha'is of Iran, Baha'is of the U.S., U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

The Education Under Fire initiative announced the release of No Regrets: The Journey of Jafar Yaghoobi – the latest installment in the seven-part “Angels of Iran” documentary series. These short videos are personal stories of courage and resilience in the face of torture, imprisonment and execution in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“No Regrets” is political activist Jafar Yaghoobi’s first-person account of his four and a half years in prison. He missed his daughter growing up, but as he states, “I have no regret of being a political activist, sacrificing for freedom and for democracy in Iran.”

View all the “Angels of Iran” videos at www.educationunderfire.com/angels-of-iran.

Visit www.educationunderfire.com/25 to become part of the DRIVE TO 25 initiative, which invites supporters of human rights everywhere to add their names to the ever-growing list of signatories who have taken action for the Baha’is in Iran.

Post these links to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

By Baha’i World News Service

GENEVA – The United Nations investigator into human rights in Iran has sharply criticized the country’s system of justice and human rights record.

UN Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed told a meeting of the Human Rights Council here that he had received testimony from more than 141 witnesses which highlighted “multifarious and systematic deficits in the Government’s capacity to ensure respect for human rights.”

Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, briefs the Human Rights Council on Monday 12 March. A former foreign minister of the Maldives, Dr. Shaheed was appointed to his post last June after a period of some nine years during which no one had held that position. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré.

And in his formal written report to the Council, Dr. Shaheed focused to an extent not previously seen in UN investigations of Iran on the overall failure of the country’s justice system. Violations of due process were chronic, he said, and “vaguely defined security provisions” are applied in ways that “unduly limit freedom of expression, association and assembly.”

“In many cases, witnesses reported that they were arrested for activities protected by international law, and that they were detained in solitary confinement for prolonged periods with no access to legal counsel or family members, and in the absence of formal charges,” Dr. Shaheed told the meeting.

The Special Rapporteur reported a dramatic increase in the number of executions carried out in the Islamic Republic – more than 600 during the year 2011, many for crimes not considered serious under international law. Iranian authorities have also stepped up their detention of journalists and lawyers, he said, and continued their persecution of ethnic and religious minorities.

Country and NGO representatives at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, participating in an interactive dialog with the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 12 March 2012. Baha'i World News Service Photo.

Baha’is continue to be arbitrarily arrested and detained for their beliefs, noted Dr. Shaheed, in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Baha’is are also subjected to “severe socio-economic pressure,” facing deprivations of “property, employment and education.”

Monday’s session offered an interactive dialogue between the Special Rapporteur and Human Rights Council members. His concerns were promptly echoed by a majority of the nations addressing the session. Some 15 countries specifically highlighted the situation of Iran’s Baha’is.

Brazil’s delegate – João Genésio de Almeida Filho – said his government had a “particular concern” about “allegations of the systematic persecution of members of unrecognized religious communities, particularly the Baha’i community.”

Referring to Iran’s state-sponsored campaign of demonizing Baha’is in the media, Veronika Stromsikova – delegate of the Czech Republic – said her country concurred with Dr. Shaheed’s observation that “the government’s tolerance of an intensive defamation campaign against members of the Baha’i community incites discrimination” in breach of international treaties.

The 19th session of the Human Rights Council is currently under way in Geneva, Switzerland. The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré.

Bani Dugal – the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations – reported that Baha’is in Iran today face “multiple violations, across the entire spectrum of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights” running “literally from kindergarten to the grave.”

“We also agree with your presentation of the underlying obstacles,” she told Dr. Shaheed, “including elements of the legal framework and lack of adherence to the rule of law – none of which are being addressed by the government.”

“As you clearly state, impunity continues to prevail in Iran, and certain individuals are exempted from laws and regulations meant to restrain the abuse of power,” said Ms. Dugal.

Tags: Ahmed Shaheed, Baha'i International Community, Bani Dugal, Human Rights Council, Iranian government, United Nations

Anthony Vance, Director of External Affairs for the U.S. Baha’i community, speaks about the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran at a February briefing hosted by the International Religious Freedom Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives.

WASHINGTON – Congressional staffers and members of the NGO community gathered at a February briefing on Capitol Hill to hear a panel speak about human rights in Iran, including the situation of the Baha’is.

The event, hosted by the International Religious Freedom Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives, began with a brief update on the status of Youcef Nadarkhani, the Christian pastor in Iran who was sentenced to death on charges of apostasy.

The panelists included brothers Kamiar and Arash Alaie, medical doctors who were imprisoned in Iran because of their work in treating HIV/AIDS patients and raising awareness about the virus and disease. Now in the United States, they discussed their public health and community education work in Iran, their experience in Evin prison in Tehran, and their efforts to improve prison conditions during their time in Evin.

The brothers said they were imprisoned with many others who had been unjustly incarcerated, including students arrested after the disputed 2009 presidential elections, human rights defenders, and educators from the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education.  The brothers, who are now doing health and human rights work in the United States, noted that their goal has always been to be “a voice for the voiceless and a face for the faceless.”

Four panelists speak on human rights in Iran at a February briefing hosted by the International Religious Freedom Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Anthony Vance, Director of External Affairs for the Baha’i community of the United States, spoke of the intense persecution of the Baha’is of Iran, noting that the treatment of the Baha’is parallels the treatment of other historical groups in pre-genocide situations. Vance said Baha’is are identified and socialized as members of a discrete group.

Government agents are under specific instructions to systematically surveil and collect information on Baha’is, and state-sponsored media outlets consistently spread false and inflammatory propaganda about Baha’is that is intended to desensitize the population to their plight.

This propaganda was documented in a recent report by the Baha’i International Community, entitled Inciting Hatred: Iran’s Media Campaign to Demonize Baha’is, which notes that, about every one to two days, the Iranian government, through its state-sponsored newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations, disseminates a piece of anti-Baha’i propaganda.

Another panelist, Paul Marshall, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, gave an overview of the human rights crisis in Iran, and focused particularly on the dangerous situation for religious minorities and dissidents, including Sh’ia Muslims whose views on Islam differ from those of the state.  Marshall noted that, while Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians have limited rights under the constitution of Iran, the Baha’i Faith has no legal status and its members therefore have no rights.  Baha’is are the most intensively persecuted religious group in Iran, and murdering a Baha’i, or any other apostate, carries no punishment.

Responding to a question about the effect of U.S.-based advocacy for human rights in Iran, Vance noted that, despite its assertions to the contrary, the Iranian government does pay attention to the statements and actions of the United States and other governments.  Similarly, Marshall noted that, “Exposure does have an effect.  The Iranian government often responds to external criticism.”

Tags: Anthony Vance, Arash Alaie, Baha'is of Iran, Baha'is of the U.S., BIHE, Hudson Institute, International Religious Freedom Caucus, Kamiar Alaie, Paul Marshall, Youcef Nadarkhani

Amnesty International has started a drive to send Nowruz greeting cards to the imprisoned seven Baha’i leaders and six other prisoners of conscience in Iran. Nawruz, which means “new day,” is both a Persian and Baha’i holiday marking the new year on March 20.

The cards should be sent with a simple greeting, such as “Nowruz mobarak” or نوروز مبارک. Amnesty International suggests writing in English or Persian, “Thinking of you at Nowruz time,” or “Hoping you are well,” along with pictures of landscapes or flowers.

However, the cards should not mention Amnesty International, details of the prisoner’s case, human rights, U.S.-Iran relations or anything that might be construed as political. It is better to choose cards that do not portray people or anything that looks like an alcoholic drink.

The Baha’is are one of seven cases Amnesty International has chosen for the initiative. The number of cases is in keeping with the Nowruz tradition of “haft-sin,” which translates to the seven S’s. Persians commonly put out a haft-sin table, covered with seven spring items that begin with the Persian letter “S.”

After a similar initiative last year, four of the seven cases that were the focus of the greeting-card campaign were resolved, Amnesty International reports.

The seven Baha’is arrested in 2008 are, seated from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet. All are from Tehran. The photograph was taken several months before their arrest.

You can send Nowruz greetings to the seven Baha’is here:
Baha’i International Community

15 route des Morillons

1218 Grand Saconnex Switzerland

Read more on the seven Baha’i leaders here.

Read about how to send Nowruz greetings to other prisoners of conscience here. (PDF)

Tags: Amnesty International, Baha'is of Iran

A new report from Amnesty International chronicles Iran’s crackdown on freedom of expression leading up to the parliamentary elections on March 2. The 71-page report, “We are ordered to crush you”: Expanding Repression of Dissent in Iran, which was released last week, also details the persecution of Baha’is and other religious minorities in the country. More than 80 Baha’is were held in prison at the end of January 2012, Amnesty International reported.

Persecution of religious minorities, including converts to Christianity, Baha’is, dissident Shi’a clerics and members of the Ahl-e Haq and Dervish communities, has increased since the 2009 presidential elections. Non-Muslims, especially the Baha’i community, have been increasingly demonized by Iranian officials and in the Iranian state-controlled media. In 2011, repeated calls by the Supreme Leader and other authorities to combat “false beliefs” – apparently an allusion to evangelical Christianity, Baha’ism and Sufism – appear to have led to an increase in religious persecution.

The Baha’i minority, which numbers between 300,000 and 350,000, suffers particularly harshly at the hands of the state, which regards it as a “heretical” sect. Numerous anti-Baha’i articles have been published, for example by the official government news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), and other agencies or websites affiliated to the government or security forces.

Rozita Vaseghi, a Baha’i, is serving 10 years in prison in Mashhad. Photo from Amnesty International.

The Baha’is held in prison include Rozita Vaseghi (pictured above). She was arrested at her home in March 2010 on charges of “membership of an illegal organization whose aim is to harm the security of the country” and “spreading propaganda against the system,” according to the report. She was sentenced to five years in prison and banned from leaving Iran for a decade. While she was in prison last year, she was charged with “spreading Baha’i teachings,” which added another five years to her sentence.

Tags: Amnesty International, Baha'i Faith, Baha'is of Iran, Iran, Rozita Vaseghi

The Education Under Fire initiative announced the release of A Father’s Voice: The Soheila Afnani Story – the latest installment in the seven-part “Angels of Iran” documentary series. These short videos are personal stories of courage and resilience in the face of torture, imprisonment and execution in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In “A Father’s Voice,” Soheilia Afnani talks about her father Nusratullah Subhani, a local Baha’i leader who was executed March 5th, 1985. The day before he was killed, Mr. Subhani wrote to his wife and daughter, “I only wish that all of you become inspired and successful in the pathway of truth and truthfulness. May my life be sacrificed to you all.”

View all the “Angels of Iran” videos at www.educationunderfire.com/angels-of-iran.

Visit www.educationunderfire.com/25 to become part of the DRIVE TO 25 initiative, which invites supporters of human rights everywhere to add their names to the ever-growing list of signatories who have taken action for the Baha’is in Iran.

Post these links to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Tags: Angels of Iran, Baha'is of Canada, Baha'is of the United States, Education Under Fire, Nusratullah Subhani, Soheila Afnani

WASHINGTON – On February 16, representatives from the Baha’i community met with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to discuss the persecution of Baha’is associated with Baha’i Institute for Higher Education in Iran.  BIHE is an informal higher education system created in 1987 by members of the Baha’i community in Iran as a direct response to the Iranian government’s refusal to allow Baha’is to attend universities.  Over the years, the government has, on several occasions, conducted raids on BIHE and arrested BIHE faculty and staff.  In 2011, the Iranian government again conducted sweeping raids and arrests.  It then declared BIHE to be illegal, charged seven educators affiliated with BIHE of conspiracy against national security and conspiracy against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and sentenced these educators to four- and five-year terms of imprisonment for “membership of the deviant sect of Bahá’ísm.”

Baha'is connected to the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education in Iran and representatives of the American Baha'i community with the Commissioners of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

The group meeting with the Commission included two Iranian-American Baha’is living in the U.S., whose fathers are currently imprisoned in Iran for their efforts to educate Baha’i youth through BIHE.  The group also included a recent graduate of BIHE, who obtained her degree in architecture from BIHE in Iran and is now working at an architectural firm in the U.S., as well as an Iranian-American professor who assists in the administration of BIHE.

Through their discussions with the Baha’is, the Commissioners were able to learn about how BIHE works, what BIHE has meant to a generation of Baha’i youth seeking education, and the deplorable prison conditions that the BIHE educators are now enduring.  These discussions provided the Commission with first-hand information about the situation in Iran as it compiles its annual report, which has historically highlighted the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran.