Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

In an Associated Press article published January 28 in the Washington Post, Iranian prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi reportedly announced that a group of post-election detainees, including an unknown number of Baha’is, would go on trial Saturday, January 30.

From the article:

He said the trial will demonstrate the role of “leftists, Bahais and those who were directed by foreign hands” in the postelection turmoil. He did not say how many new defendants would go on trial.

Iranian authorities regularly accuse the U.S., Britain and other foreign enemies of fueling the unrest in a bid to oust the country’s clerical leaders. They have also accused followers of the Bahai faith, which is illegal in Iran because it is seen as heretical.

At least 47 Baha’is are currently in prison throughout Iran, including 10 who were arrested on January 3 in the wake of the Ashura Day protests last December.

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Tags: Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, Ashura, Associated Press, Baha'i arrests, Baha'i Faith, Bahai, bahai leaders, Iran, Washington Post, Yaran