Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

In Los Angeles, Baha’is held a public meeting to raise awareness about the July 11 trial of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran. Watch KTTV FOX 11 News’ coverage of the event, which was held July 29, 2009, in Baldwin Village.

On June 26, 2009, religion columnist Samuel G. Freedman of the New York Times wrote, “The Bahais have long served as the proverbial canaries in the coal mine of Iran’s theocracy.”

The trial of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders, arrested in the spring of 2008, is scheduled to be held at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court on July 11, 2009. American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was recently convicted of espionage in Branch 28 of this Court and sentenced to eight years imprisonment. She was eventually released, but [...]

A message from the Baha’i International Community in the words of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith: “We entreat God to deliver the light of equity and the sun of justice from the thick clouds of waywardness, and cause them to shine forth upon men. No light can compare with the light of justice. [...]

On June 23, 2009, Human Rights Activists in Iran issued an “alarming update” on the status of seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Tehran’s Evin Prison. You can access an English translation at Iran Press Watch.

The external affairs office of the Baha’is of the U.S. is happy to announce the winner of its video contest about the plight of Baha’is in Iran. The overall winner of the contest is the video “Murder with Impunity” submitted by Bobby Aazami. The panel judging the contest felt that this submission provided a very [...]

On June 18, 2009, Farhad Sabetan discussed the situation of the Baha’is in Iran with NPR’s Michel Martin, the host of “Tell Me More.” Check the show’s broadcast schedule for local air times, or listen to the interview.

In an article published in The Washington Post on June 11, 2009, journalist Roxana Saberi describes meeting Baha’is in Tehran’s Evin Prison. From the article, “I also got to know two Baha’i female leaders, who along with five male colleagues have been detained for more than a year without trial. While peacefully pursuing the religious [...]

On June 9, 2009, Iran Press Watch published English translations of several updates on the situation of the Baha’is in Iran. The updates were originally published in Farsi by the Baha’i World News Service.