Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

On March 31, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that 50 Baha’is in southern Iran were barred from leaving the country. These Baha’is were arrested in 2006 for teaching classes to children on the outskirts of Shiraz and received prison sentences varying from one to four years. According to Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International [...]

On March 12, 2010, the U.S. State Department released the following statement expressing increasing concern about “Iran’s ongoing persecution of Baha’is and other religious minority communities.” In recent weeks, authorities detained at least 25 Baha’is. Reports indicate there have been more than 45 new detentions of Baha’is in the last four months alone, and currently [...]

In its latest report on women’s rights in Iran, updated March 12, 2010, Freedom House explained the constitutional provisions that limit religious freedom in that country, including restrictions on Baha’is. From the report… Article 13 of the constitution recognizes Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians as religious minorities and grants them limited freedom of religious practice, education, [...]

On March 9, 2010, Voice of America published an editorial drawing further attention to the plight of Iran’s Baha’i community. In it, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner is quoted condemning Iran’s post-election crackdown and calling on the country to observe religious freedom, among its other human rights treaty obligations. “The United States strongly condemns [...]

On March 8, the RFE/RL blog “Watchdog” published a Q&A with D.C.-area Baha’i Sovaida Ma’ani Ewing about the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i religious minority. The interview specifically addresses the ongoing trial of seven Baha’i leaders, which is expected to continue in Tehran on April 10, 2010. Here’s an excerpt of the interview… RFE/RL: For the [...]