Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

Once, during Ramadan in the mid-1990s, Erfan Sabeti was on his way to an all-day genetics class at the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education in Tehran.

In an open letter addressed to Iran’s representative to the UN, Mohammad Khazaee, 48 medical school deans and senior vice-presidents, who “believe that education is an inherent human right,” called for the release of educators associated with the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), which was set up to provide university-level studies for young Baha’is denied their right to education.

The children of Riaz Sobhani (top, third from the left) and Kamran Mortezaie (bottom, middle) spoke with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran about their fears for their fathers’ health and safety after the two men were sentenced by the Iranian Revolutionary Court in October 2011 to harsh prison terms for their involvement [...]

Attacks such as these, against the rights of citizens to organize and be educated in freedom, can no longer be tolerated. We call upon the Iranian government not only to cease its persecution of Bahá’ís, but to provide, and promote, education for all.

The release of an open letter from two Nobel Peace Prize winners regarding the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education coincided with the first round of trials for imprisoned staff members of the beleaugured Institute. Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta called for an end to education discrimination in Iran in a [...]

Arrest, imprisonment and trumped up charges for one man in Iran hits close to home for another man in the U.S. After the Iranian government took Mahmoud Badavam into custody for teaching young Baha’is barred from university, Anthony Vance, Director of the Office of External Affairs for the Baha’is of the U.S.,  reflected on the [...]

Event details Where: Freedom House, 4th Floor, 1301 Connecticut Ave., Washington, D.C. When: Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011 10 a.m. All media, organizations and public welcome. Delegation to visit Washington to speak out about resilience of Baha’i students and educators in Iran Washington, D.C. — With looming court dates for 8 Baha’i educators charged with conspiracy [...]

The Baha’i International Community released Saturday an open letter to Iran’s minister for higher education, calling for an end to “the unjust and oppressive practices” that obstruct access to university for Baha’is and other young Iranians. Read the letter in English Read the letter in Persian The five-page letter addressed to Kamran Daneshjoo, Iran’s Minister [...]

Eleven Baha’is charged with “conspiracy against national security” for operating an institute for higher education

Iranian authorities faced a deadline two months after the May 21st raids carried out on more than thirty Baha’i homes* connected to the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education. Under Iranian law, the authorities had to either formally charge defendants or set the prisoners free.

The Baha’i International Community just learned that charges have been laid and 11 of the 19 individuals originally detained in the raids will continue to be held in detention*. The remaining 8 individuals were released over time since the raids.

From one group of academics to another, the Scholars for Peace in the Middle East board of directors is sticking up for the imprisoned faculty and staff of the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education in Iran. According to its website, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) is an independent, not-for-profit, grass-roots organization of [...]

Arrests on the rise According to the latest reports, 103 Baha’is are currently behind bars because of their religious beliefs. This number has risen dramatically from the beginning of the year. Another nearly 100 Baha’is have received prison sentences and await appeal or summons to begin serving their terms.  An additional 160 Baha’is are free on bail but could [...]

U.S. news coverage of Iran’s attack on Baha’i educators reveals stark contrast to spring graduation season As worldwide outrage gathers in response to the recent raids and sweeping arrests of Baha’i Institute for Higher Education faculty and administrators, the reaction in many U.S. news reports and blogs has been one of trying to relate to [...]

A month before the May 22 raids and mass arrests of Baha’i Institute for Higher Education* faculty and administrators, a UC Berkeley consortium had already shone a spotlight on the plight of their counterparts in Iran, who are not given the privilege to study in Iranian universities. The consortium included the UC Berkeley Baha’i Club, United4Iran, [...]

* This article has been updated to reflect new information on the number of arrests in connection with the BIHE raids. GENEVA — A coordinated series of raids have been carried out on the homes of several Iranian Baha’is, active in a community initiative to provide a higher education program for young members who are [...]

The count of Iranian Baha’is currently in prison because of their religion has climbed in recent weeks to 79, according to an update from the Baha’i World News Service released on March 20, up from 69 prisoners recorded in February. On the same day, U.S. President Barack Obama issued his annual Naw Ruz greeting to the people [...]

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 [...]

On Monday, April 12, the Miami Herald published an article about a Baha’i woman in Miami who experienced educational discrimination in Iran for her beliefs. Nadia Riazati, who arrived in the U.S. two years ago and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree at Florida International University, shared her story during a public event in Miami [...]

On October 26, the U.S. Department of State released its 2009 International Religious Freedom Report on Iran, which includes several mentions of the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i minority. For example, Adherents of religious groups not recognized by the Constitution, such as the Baha’is, do not have freedom to practice their beliefs. The Government prohibits Baha’is [...]

On July 9, 2009, Robert A. Oden, Jr., president of Carleton College in Norfield, MN, sent a letter to Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mohammad Khazaee, advocating for Baha’is’ right to higher education in Iran.

On Saturday, March 7, 2009, several Persian online journals carried this report about the expulsion of Miss Minoo Shahriari on the grounds that she was a Baha’i.