May14
State Department speaks out on two-year anniversary of Baha’i arrests
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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