Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

Baha’i World News Service– Following the demolition of Baha’i homes in the Iranian village of Ivel – reported last week – there is another story that must also be told: that of sympathetic villagers who have commiserated with their Baha’i neighbors over the injustices they have been forced to endure.

It is also the story of an undaunted spirit and a commitment to social good that continues to enable the Baha’is to transcend their prolonged persecution and be active participants in the social and economic development of their village.

• Read the full story from Baha’i World News Service

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Tags: Bahai, human-rights, Iran, Ivel, religious freedom

On Friday, July 2, BBC News covered the recent demolition of 50 Baha’i homes in Ivel, a small village in northern Iran. The report also included a summary of the history of Baha’i persecution in Iran, as well as the inconclusive trial of seven Baha’i leaders who have been imprisoned in Tehran for more than two years.

From BBC News:

First there are the images of wooden beams on fire. Then buildings come into view, some without windows and doors, others reduced to rubble.

The shaky mobile phone footage posted on YouTube by Iranian human rights activists shows scenes of destruction filmed secretly from inside a car.

The activists say the footage shows the results of an attack on the properties of Bahai residents in Ivel, a village in northern Iran.

They also say that non-Bahai residents supported the demolitions.

Bahai groups outside Iran have also received eyewitness reports from Ivel.

The witnesses said that several days before the bulldozers moved in, some people in the village signed a petition demanding the expulsion of their Bahai neighbours.

Many Bahais had left already: a number of families had fled previous attacks on Bahai property in Ivel. In 2007, for example, six houses were torched.

However, this time the Bahais left in the village complained to the police in the nearest town, Kiasar.

The police denied that there was a petition against them and refused to provide any protection.

The reports from Ivel residents say that by June 22, almost 50 houses belonging to Bahais had been flattened.

• Read more from BBC News

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Tags: Bahai, human-rights, Iran, religious freedom, Yaran

On Thursday, July 1, the Houston Chronicle’s religion blog “Believe Out Loud” ran a story about a local Baha’i, Enayat Amini, who immigrated from Iran in 2004 after the authorities shut down his business because of his Baha’i beliefs.

From the article:

Nearly 70 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where religious practices are restricted and minority groups are unable to fully live out their faith, according to the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life.

On Independence Day — when Americans mark the signing of a document that affirmed equality and the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – we should be happy that we are not among that restricted population.

“I am grateful for the freedom given to me and people of all religions to practice their faith without being asked any questions,” said Enayat Amini, a 52-year-old living in west Houston.

• Read the full story from The Houston Chronicle

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Tags: Bahai, human-rights, Iran, religious freedom

On June 28, the Persian-language radio station, Radio Farda, broadcast an interview with Mr. Derakhshan, one of the Baha’is whose property was destroyed in the village of Ivel, Iran.

Excerpts from the interview (via Baha’i World News Service) are transcribed below:

Mr. Derakhshan: We had heard some rumours about the destruction of the village and the burning of homes of the Baha’is but did not believe that such a thing could happen. However, we went to the offices of the governor general, the governor and the deputy governor in that district and informed them that this was what [the villagers] had said they were planning to do, and asked whether it was true. We were told not to worry and that there was not such a possibility; we believed them. However, when Mr. Mahmoud Piri and his family were going to [their home] in Ivel, as soon as they arrived in the village he was severely beaten and verbally insulted. He was told that he should not be there. At that point he noticed that they were destroying his home.

Radio Farda: Who were the people who beat and verbally abused Mr. Piri?

Mr. Derakhshan: The local residents – because they had told him that he should immediately leave the area and that he was not to get close…for 48 hours. Unfortunately, with the help of the local residents, they destroyed 50 houses, using four bulldozers. It is shocking to see 50 houses demolished and burned in one instant.

Radio Farda: What is happening to the residents of these homes and what happened to their belongings?

Mr. Derakhshan: Every house we go to, we hear their lamentations. I should mention that these friends were not living there. During the first few years after the revolution, on [28 June 1983], these people were expelled from their homes. They [the residents of the village] told them that they had to convert to Islam; they were imprisoned in a mosque, threatened and beaten with shovels and axes. They were then thrown out of the village.

Since those events, these Baha’is go to the village once a year for two to three days to harvest their crops. Of course they have to obtain a permit from the officials to be able to go there and stay in their own homes for a few days and cultivate their lands, even though most of their lands were confiscated.

Radio Farda: You mean that the owners of these homes and farms were made to obtain permits in order to be allowed to go to their own homes?

Mr. Derakhshan: Precisely. Each time or each year when they wanted to go there they had to obtain permits from the Justice Administration to be allowed to stay in their own homes for two or three days. We complained to a number of authorities concerning this issue and we were treated unkindly. When we went to the office of the deputy governor and told them that they were destroying our homes, we were told that the letters of complaint that we had written were considered to be in opposition to the regime. They even threatened to arrest us. We told them, “Our homes are being demolished right this minute. We are Baha’is and your fellow-citizens. We are not your enemies. We are not from Israel, England or America. By God, we are Iranian citizens. What should we do? God is our witness, we do not know what to do. Please help us.”

Radio Farda: Are the people who are involved in these activities the local residents or some government officials?

Mr. Derakhshan: What do you think? How could 50 homes – each having a wood storage area and a place for keeping animals – be demolished without prior arrangements? We informed [the authorities] before and during the demolition. What do you think the answer is? Besides all our friends [the Baha'i residents of the village] also informed the authorities, but unfortunately nothing was done to prevent this event.

Radio Farda: Do you think that the bulldozers were probably brought by the order of the governor or the deputy governor?

Mr. Derakhshan: We do not know and cannot say that it was ordered by someone. All we know is that unfortunately everything has been completely destroyed. It should be mentioned that when we visited the office of the governor general, we told his deputy that there was a possibility that such an incident may occur. His response amazed us; he said, “The governor general is like a physician in any society, if he feels that there is a malignant tumour in the body of the society he tries to remove it.” I now ask you a question, “How could the Baha’i farmers in the village of Ivel be considered as that malignant tumour?”

This transcript was added on June 29, 2010 to the original Baha’i World News Service report published on June 28.

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Tags: Bahai, human-rights, Iran, religous freedom

Baha’i World News Service– Homes belonging to some 50 Baha’i families in a remote village in northern Iran have been demolished as part of a long-running campaign to expel them from the region.

The action occurred in Ivel, Mazandaran, when inhabitants – incited by elements inimical to the Baha’i community – blocked normal access to the village, while allowing trucks and at least four front-end loaders to begin leveling the houses.

Amateur video, shot on mobile telephones and posted by Iranian human rights activists on the Internet, showed what appeared to be several buildings reduced to rubble as well as fiercely burning fires.

The demolitions are the latest development in an ongoing, officially-sanctioned program in the area which has targeted every activity of the Baha’is.

“They’re being forbidden to associate with Muslims, or even offer service to their friends and neighbours,” said Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

“Even the smallest acts of good will – such as taking flowers to someone who’s sick in hospital or donating gifts to an orphanage – these are being seen as actions against the regime.”

Most of the Baha’i homes in Ivel have been unoccupied since their residents fled after previous incidents of violence or as a result of official displacement.

Members of the Baha’i community have made repeated complaints both before and after the latest incident to local government officials, including to the provincial governor in Sari. In every case, knowledge of the demolitions or the motive behind them was denied.

• Read more from Baha’i World News Service
• News coverage: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, BBC News, Voice of America (Persian), The Guardian
• Other online coverage: The National Review Online

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Baha’i World News Service – The trial of seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned for more than two years in Iran seems to have come to a conclusion after three days of successive court hearings.

The seven appeared in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on the morning of Saturday, 12 June and returned to Evin Prison shortly after noon.

The Court was reconvened the next day, as well as this morning.

“We can confirm that a court session was held today in Tehran,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, “and it seems from what we have heard that the trial itself has now concluded. But we have no further information at this time.”

The defendants are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm.

• Read the full story from Baha’i World News Service

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Baha’i World News Service — On a global day of action highlighting human rights abuses in Iran, the European Union and the Prime Minister of Canada issued strong statements calling for Iran to respect international law.

In a declaration made on behalf of the European Union, its High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton, said, “We call on Iran to respect fair trial rights as enshrined in article 14 of the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights). Discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities and women are other areas of concern.”

“We are disturbed by serious reports of ill-treatment and torture of those detained and imprisoned as well as allegations of forced confessions,” the EU declaration said. “The EU will be closely monitoring the ongoing trial of Baha’i leaders in this regard.”

“We take this opportunity to reassure the people of Iran that they have not been forgotten: the EU will continue to speak out and to call on the Iranian authorities to respect the rights of their citizens in accordance with the international obligations to which they have committed under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and other human rights treaties,” the statement concluded.

The EU declaration was issued on Saturday, 12 June – the same day that the seven Baha’i leaders returned to court in Tehran for the start of the fourth session of their trial, which continues today.

Campaigners took to the streets in more than 80 cities worldwide.

• Read the full story from Baha’i World News Service

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Baha’i World News Service (New Delhi) — On the eve of the fourth court hearing for Iran’s seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders, voices are being raised around the world for them to be freed.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Delhi has addressed Iran’s Supreme Leader calling for the release of the seven, “or at the very least for them to be released on bail and await a fair and open trial in accordance with the international standards of jurisprudence.”

“In the court sessions held so far, no evidence of wrongdoing has been presented, as their lawyers have confirmed,” Archbishop Vincent M. Concessao wrote in a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dated 5 June 2010.

Yesterday, the social activist and spiritual leader, Swami Agnivesh, led a peaceful procession through the streets of New Delhi to Hyderabad House, a government-owned venue used for major events and press conferences.

• Read the full story from Baha’i World News Service

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On June 10, U.S. Representatives Frank Wolf and Mark Kirk submitted statements to the Congressional Record, calling for renewed support of seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders in the days preceding their next court session, which is expected to occur on Saturday, June 12 in Tehran.

“The U.S. and the rest of the free world must continue to speak with one voice about the deplorable human rights situation in Iran,” Wolf said in his statement. “We must continue to advocate for due process and a fair trial for these seven Baha’i leaders and for basic rights for the community as a whole which according to the recently released report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, “has long been subject to particularly severe religious violations in Iran.”

“The world cannot turn a blind eye to this regime’s brutal repression of its own people.”

• Download Wolf’s statement as PDF

“The post-election crackdown fully exposed the Iranian regime’s continuing oppression of political dissidents as well as religious and ethnic minorities,” Kirk said in his statement for the Congressional Record.

“In the spring of 2008, seven leaders of the Baha’i community were arrested and detained in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison on charges of ‘‘spreading corruption on earth,’’ among other outrageous falsehoods. They have been incarcerated for 20 months before a show trial can even commence. Moreover, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, as many as 45 members of the Baha’i community are currently imprisoned in Iran solely on the basis of their religious identity. The fourth court appearance of the Baha’i leaders is scheduled for June 12 to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the stolen election.

“The cynicism of the Iranian regime knows no bounds.

“It is time that the United States and the international community hold Iran accountable for denying the fundamental freedoms to its people.”

• Download Kirk’s statement as PDF

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Baha’i World News Service— The  seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned for more than two years in Iran are scheduled to make their fourth court appearance on 12 June, according to the latest update provided by the Baha’i International Community.

The date coincides with the first anniversary of last year’s contested presidential election in Iran, as well as a global day of action aimed at calling attention to human rights abuses in that country.

The trial of the seven began on January 12, 2010, after they had been incarcerated without charge in  Evin prison for 20 months.

At the first hearing, held in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, the Baha’is categorically denied charges of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” among other allegations.

A second appearance on February 7, was concerned mainly with procedural issues.

The third session on April 12, which was purportedly a closed hearing, was adjourned after the seven – with the agreement of their attorneys – refused to be party to the proceedings because of the presence of nonjudicial personnel.

“To have spectators, including a film crew, in a supposedly closed hearing while denying entry to the defendants’ families was unacceptable,” said Diane Ala’i, Baha’i representative to the United Nations in Geneva. “There would be no objection if the trial were to be open and conducted in accordance with international standards.”

“In the court sessions held so far, no evidence of wrongdoing has been presented. As their lawyers have confirmed, the defendants are completely innocent and are being persecuted solely for their religious belief,” Ala’i said. “The Iranian government should know that its actions against these innocent citizens are under scrutiny throughout the world.”

“Once again we call for their immediate release,” Ala’i said. “Failing that, the seven should – at the very least – be released on bail pending a fair trial.”

The seven defendants are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm. Before their imprisonment, they attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i community, which numbers more than 300,000. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on March 5, 2008, and the others on May 14, 2008.

There are currently some 38 Baha’is in detention in various cities in Iran.

• Read the original article from Baha’i World News Service
• Read coverage from Radio Free Europe/Radio Farda

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While in Washington, D.C.,  last week, American journalist Roxana Saberi described meeting two Iranian Baha’is during her 100-day incarceration in Evin prison, according to Radio Free Europe.

From the article…

At the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center and at a discussion at the National Press Club last week, Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi recounted her 100 days in Evin prison between February and May 2009 on espionage charges. While in prison, she says she became close to a number of prisoners of conscience, including the two female Baha’i leaders who have been in jail for more than two years — Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet.

She described the day of her release as bittersweet.

“As they drove me away, I remember turning my head to the side and seeing the prison disappear behind me. And finally, I cried,” Saberi said. “I realized, however, that my tears were not just tears of joy, but they were also tears of sorrow for the many innocent prisoners I was leaving behind. Why was I freed while all these others are still there?”

• Read the full article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

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On May 28, 2010, the Committee on International Freedom of Scientists of the American Physical Society wrote a letter to Iran’s Minister of Education, Dr. Hamid Reza Haji Babaie, expressing concern over the country’s systematic denial of higher education to Baha’i students.

From the letter:

Denying anyone access to education based upon their personal convictions is rightly considered to be deplorable, whether these convictions are religious or political, and in the long run such policies serve to undermine not only human rights but also future benefits to that country at issue and to the world at large. In addition such actions are in direct contravention to several international treaties which Iran is a signatory, namely The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights1, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights2 and in particular The Convention on the Rights of the Child3 which in article 28 explicitly address the rights of a child to education and in 1c, with making “higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity.”

• Download the letter as .PDF

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On Monday, May 17, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published the following article about the two-year anniversary of the arrest of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran. Accompanying the story is a video chronicling a photo campaign initiated by the human rights group United4Iran, advocating for the release and fair trail of the seven Baha’i leaders.

From the article…

May 14 marked the second anniversary of the imprisonment of seven Baha’i leaders in Tehran, where they have been held in Evin prison in small cells and solitary confinement. Baha’is around the world gathered in their local communities last weekend to pray for their safety and timely release.

The five male leaders — Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm — share a cell. The two women leaders — Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet — have shared a cell with other female prisoners, including journalist Roxana Saberi.

During a special devotional in Washington, D.C., Shastri Purushotma, a human rights representative from the U.S. Baha’i community, said the seven are in poor condition.

“They get to talk to their families about once a week. It’s usually a 10-minute phone call through glass,” said Purushotma. He said the Baha’i members sit in rooms lighted by one bright light, and only get sunlight and fresh air a few times a week.

• Read the full article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
• Below, watch a video produced by United4Iran in support of the Baha’is

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On Thursday, May 14, spokesman Philip J. Crowley of the U.S. Department of State issued the following statement condemning the continued incarceration of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran.

The United States is deeply concerned about the ongoing persecution of Baha’is and other religious minority communities in Iran.

Today marks the second anniversary of the imprisonment of seven Baha’i leaders.  Although there have been three hearings of their case since January 2010, no date has yet been set for another hearing, and they continue to be denied access to their attorneys.  The United States strongly condemns their continued incarceration as a violation of due process and calls on Iran to meet its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

During the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council in February 2010, Iran pledged to abide by international law and highlighted its ethnic and religious diversity. We were disappointed, however, that the Iranian government publicly rejected a UPR recommendation to end discrimination against the Baha’i religious minority.  Once again, we join the international community in urging Iran to uphold its obligations to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all its citizens.

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On Friday, May 14, The Washington Times published the following article on the two-year anniversary of the arrest seven Baha’i leaders in Iran.

From the article…

Two years ago to date, the top leaders of the Baha’i movement in Iran were enjoying the last peaceful morning they would see in a long time.

While in their homes, four men and two women – a seventh leader had been arrested previously – were dragged off by government officials to one of the world’s most notorious prisons: Evin prison in northwest Tehran.

The seven were known as the Friends, a leadership cadre that provided for the needs of Iran’s 300,000-member Baha’i community. With no access to an attorney, they were charged with spying for Israel, insulting “religious sanctities” and propaganda against the Islamic republic.

• Read the full story from The Washington Times

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Today the Iranian-American journalist who spent 100-days imprisoned in Iran, again mentioned the persecution of the Baha’is of Iran in an op-ed published in The Washington Post on May 13.

From the article…

If the international community fails to condemn such atrocities, Iran’s regime will continue to trample on the basic rights of individuals, many of whom have been detained simply for peacefully standing up for universal human rights. It is common for Tehran’s prisoners — including journalists, bloggers, women’s rights campaigners, student activists and adherents of the minority Baha’i faith — to be held in prolonged solitary confinement without access to an attorney as they try to defend themselves against fabricated charges such as espionage and “propaganda against Islam” or the regime.

• Read the full story from The Washington Post

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Books about the Baha’i Faith are among a growing number of titles banned at this year’s Tehran Book Fair, according to an article published on Monday, May 10, by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

From the article…

We reported over the weekend about the banning of some books by Iranian authors at Tehran’s Book Fair.

The popular Tabnak website has posted some of the titles of the Western books that have been banned.

…The conservative website says all books acknowledging the Holocaust, books about “meditation” and “Zen therapy,” and books about the Baha’i faith, which is not recognized in the Iranian constitution, have been banned from the book fair.

• Read the full story from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

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This Friday, May 14, marks the two-year anniversary of the arrest of seven Iranian Bahá’í leaders on a series of false charges stemming from their membership with the minority Bahá’í Faith. They are still in prison today.

The seven defendants are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on March 5, 2008, and the others on May 14, 2008. They have had only limited access to their families and to legal counsel throughout their incarceration.

Currently, the five men and two women are confined to two small cells in Tehran’s Evin prison, without beds or bedding. They have neither fresh air, nor sunlight in their cramped cells, and are permitted outside for only two hours each week; circumstances that have had a harmful effect on their health.

During their first court appearance on January 12, 2010, the seven defendants were accused of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” among other charges, some of which carry the death penalty.

Their latest court session, held on April 12, 2010, was suspended without announcement of a new trial date. The Bahá’í International Community has repeatedly called for the defendants to be released on bail until their trial resumes, in accordance with international standards of jurisprudence.

Baha’is around the world will hold prayer gatherings to commemorate the anniversary of these seven Baha’is’ imprisonment; and the human rights network United4Iran has initiated an action campaign in support of their immediate release.

• Read more from the Baha’i World News Service.

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UPDATE: Below is a summary of information about Baha’is arrested in Iran between August 2004 and May 7, 2010.

These arrests are only one component of a systematic effort by Iranian authorities to eradicate the nation’s 300,000-member Baha’i minority through identification and monitoring, arrest and imprisonment, public incitement to hatred by state media, denial of access to education and employment, the desecration of Baha’i cemeteries, and the refusal to allow Baha’is to perform their burial rites. For the latest news and updates about Baha’is in Iran, please visit http://news.bahai.org.

• 300 Baha’is have been arrested in Iran since 2004.
• 32 Baha’is are currently imprisoned in Iran.
• 125 Baha’is have been arrested and released on bail and are awaiting trial.
• 12 Bahai’s have been arrested and released on bail.
• 95 Baha’is have been tried and sentenced and are free, pending appeal or summons, to begin serving their sentences.
• 20 Baha’is have been tried and sentenced and have completed their prison terms.
• 11 Baha’is have had charges cleared in their original trials or have had their verdicts overturned on appeal.
• 5 Baha’is have served their prison sentences and have begun their terms of exile.

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On Wednesday, April 21, the Chicago Tribune published the following article about journalist Roxana Saberi speaking at Northwestern University in Chicago to promote her new book, “Between Two Worlds.”

From the Chicago Tribune article…

In prison, Saberi shared a cell with two women who were persecuted for their Baha’i beliefs. Saberi said she found the strength of those women to be very inspirational, and members of the local Baha’i community reciprocated.

“I think that she’s very courageous and her approach to what happened to her is inspirational,” said Nasreen Rahmani, an Evanston Township High School student of Baha’i faith who attended Saberi’s talk and has followed unjust treatment of the Baha’i in Iran.

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