Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

On Tuesday, August 31, CNN’s Belief Blog published an article about Minoo Vosough, an Iranian Baha’i who was arrested in 1984, at the age of 27, and held in Evin and Gohardasht prisons for 3 months before her release. Seven Iranian Baha’i leaders were transferred from Evin to Gohardasht earlier this month following more than two years in prison, an unlawful trial, and sentences of 20 more years in prison for refusing to confess to false charges, including espionage.

From the CNN article:

Vosough, a petite, soft-spoken realtor in Atlanta, Georgia, has been following the story of the Yaran, as the seven Baha’i leaders are known. One, Saeid Rezaie, is a classmate from her days at Pahlavi University, now called Shiraz University.

Vosough has tried to keep her own heartbreaking memories locked in the crevices of her mind. But seeing Rezaie’s gentle face, reading about the plight of the Yaran, everything came rushing back.

“I want the whole world to know what is happening in Iran,” she said.

“What was my crime? What is their crime? We simply believe in our faith. Why don’t we have that right?”

Read the full story from CNN or watch the video below.

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On Saturday, August 28, The Washington Post published an op-ed article by journalist Roxana Saberi advocating for the release of seven Iranian Baha’i prisoners, two of whom she shared a cell with during her 100-day incarceration in Evin prison last year. In the article, Saberi describes how the two Baha’i women, Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet, inspired and cared for her in prison.

From the article:

Despite the gravity of the accusations against them, Mahvash and Fariba had not once been allowed to see attorneys. Yet my cellmates’ spirits would not be broken, and they boosted mine. They taught me to, as they put it, turn challenges into opportunities — to make the most of difficult situations and to grow from adversity. We kept a daily routine, reading the books we were eventually allowed and discussing them; exercising in our small cell; and praying — they in their way, I in mine. They asked me to teach them English and were eager to learn vocabulary for shopping, cooking and traveling. They would use the new words one day, they told me, when they journeyed abroad. But the two women also said they never wanted to live overseas. They felt it their duty to serve not only Bahais but all Iranians.

Later, when I went on a hunger strike, Mahvash and Fariba washed my clothes by hand after I lost my energy and told me stories to keep my mind off my stomach. Their kindness and love gave me sustenance.

It pained me to leave them behind when I was freed in May 2009. I later heard that Mahvash, Fariba and their colleagues refused to make false confessions, as many political prisoners in Iran are pressured to do.

Saberi also called on the international community to continue to speak out for these seven prisoners.

People of many nations and faiths have called for the release of the Bahai leaders. But many more must speak out — such as by signing letters of support through Web sites such as United4Iran.com. Protests of these harsh sentences can make clear to authorities in Iran and elsewhere that they will be held accountable when they trample on human rights. Mahvash and Fariba occasionally hear news of this support, and it gives them strength to carry on, just as the international outcry against my imprisonment empowered me.

• Read the Radio Farda commentary in Farsi

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On Wednesday, August 25, Cherie Blair, a barrister at Matrix Chambers in London and the wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, published an op-ed in The Guardian concerning the recent sentencing of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders each to 20 years in prison.

From The Guardian op-ed:

The truth behind this sentence is that it is an attempt to decapitate Iran’s 300,000 strong Bahá’í community. As members of Iran’s biggest religious minority, they have suffered decades of discrimination, harassment and appalling treatment. Most recently, 50 Bahá’í homes were razed in northern Iran, and we know of at least 47 other Bahá’ís currently imprisoned.

Yet the Bahá’í faith, which has its roots in Iran, is a gentle religion which emphasises the spiritual unity of all humankind and builds on the prophets of many faiths, including Jesus and Mohammed. It poses no threat to the Iranian regime. The peaceful, constructive lives led by millions of Bahá’ís in other countries contradict the fears of the Iranian regime. Iran’s disregard for its own laws, let alone its human rights obligations, exposes its religious fanaticism.

The foreign secretary, William Hague, has already said he was “appalled” at this “shocking example of the Iranian state’s continued discrimination against the Bahá’ís”. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, called the sentence a “violation” of Iran’s international obligations. Australia, Canada, the European parliament and European Commission, France, Germany and the Netherlands have expressed their concern as have, among others, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

A chorus of condemnation is reminding Iran that it signed and ratified the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, in which Article 18 upholds the right to adopt and practice a religion or belief. The Iranian authorities, despite what they pretend, are not deaf to international criticism. We must all add our voices on this latest abandonment of Iran’s human rights obligations so the regime hears us loud and clear.

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Baha’i World News Service– The harsh prison sentences handed down to seven Iranian Baha’i leaders who are absolutely innocent of any wrongdoing is a judgment against an entire religious community, the Baha’i International Community said today.

Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, whose Defenders of Human Rights Center represented the Baha’i defendants, said she was “stunned” by the reported 20-year jail terms.

“I have read their case file page by page and did not find anything proving the accusations, nor did I find any document that could prove the claims of the prosecutor,” said Mrs. Ebadi in a television interview, broadcast on 8 August by the Persian-language service of the BBC.

The flagrantly unjust sentence has provoked vehement protest from governments throughout the world – including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S.A. The European Union and the President of the European Parliament have also joined the chorus of condemnation, along with numerous human rights organizations – including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and FIDH – as well as other groups, and countless individuals. Read international reaction here.

• Read the full story from Baha’i World News Service
• Read a special report chronicling the trial of these seven Baha’i leaders
• Blog coverage: The Huffington Post, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, America.gov

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On Friday, August 13,  Foreign Policy magazine’s “The Cable” blog highlighted last week’s sentencing of seven Iranian Baha’is leaders in an article about Secretary of State Clinton’s recent statements on human rights in Iran.

From the Foreign Policy article:

Persecution of the estimated 300,000 Baha’is in Iran has existed since the religion’s inception in the 19th century, but increased dramatically following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the eradication of the Baha’i faith became official government policy. Since the revolution, over 200 Baha’is have been killed by the regime, while hundreds have been imprisoned and thousands have been denied access to basic human rights, including the right to education and to work.

Shastri Purushotma, Human Rights Representative for the U.S. Baha’i community, told The Cable that they greatly appreciated Clinton’s statement, whichmarked the first time she had spoken out on behalf of the Baha’is.

“The Obama administration and the State Department have spoken up at every major stage of their trial,” he said. “It would be wonderful if President Obama could speak out about this too, in the right opportunity and right setting.”

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On Thursday, August 12, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued the following statement concerning the seven Iranian Baha’i leaders who have each been sentenced to 20 years in prison for their religious beliefs. According to new reports, the seven prisoners have been transferred from Evin prison in Tehran to Gohardasht Prison – also known as Rajaishahr Prison – in Karaj, some 20 kilometers west of the Iranian capital.

From Secretary Clinton’s statement “Persecution of Religious Minorities in Iran”:

The United States is deeply concerned with the Iranian government’s continued persecution of Baha’is and other religious minority communities in Iran.

This week, seven Baha’i leaders, who were incarcerated and held for nearly two years without due process, were each sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The United States strongly condemns this sentencing as a violation of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Freedom of religion is the birthright of people of all faiths and beliefs in all places.  The United States is committed to defending religious freedom around the world, and we have not forgotten the Baha’i community in Iran.  We will continue to speak out against injustice and call on the Iranian government to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens in accordance with its international obligations.

• Media coverage: AFP, CNN’s “Belief” blog, Foreign Policy’s “The Cable” blog

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Today, August 11, the Los Angeles Times published on its Mideast blog, “Babylon & Beyond,” an article about the 20-year sentence reportedly imposed on seven Baha’is who have already been imprisoned for more than two years in Tehran.

From the article:

The Bahai leaders have been held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison since 2008. The Baha’i World News Service reported:

“If this news proves to be accurate, it represents a deeply shocking outcome to the case of these innocent and harmless people,” declared Bani Dugal, who represents the Baha’i faith in contacts with the United Nations, in a statement.

The statement identified the detainees as two women, Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet, and five men: Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Vahid Tizfahm.
They “were all members of a national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Iran’s 300,000-strong Baha’i community, the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority,” the statement said.

The sentencing has been met with an outcry from world leaders and human rights advocacy groups. The president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, called the sentences “a shocking signal and an immense disappointment.”  Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran have all released statements condemning the sentencing.

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Baha’i World News Service– The Baha’i International Community has received reports indicating that seven Iranian Baha’i leaders have each received jail sentences of 20 years.

The two women and five men have been held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison since they were arrested in 2008 – six of them on May 14 and one of them two months earlier.

“If this news proves to be accurate, it represents a deeply shocking outcome to the case of these innocent and harmless people,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

“We understand that they have been informed of this sentence and that their lawyers are in the process of launching an appeal,” said Ms. Dugal.

The prisoners – Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm – were all members of a national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Iran’s 300,000-strong Baha’i community, the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority.

• Read the full story from Baha’i World News Service
• Media coverage: CNN, The Los Angeles Times,  Radio Free Europe, Reuters, Religion News Service
• Blog coverage: The Huffington Post, The Houston Chronicle’s “Houston Belief” blog, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House, Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights, Iran Press Watch, International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, International Federation for Human Rights, Georgetown Security Law Brief, Enduring America

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Baha’i World News Service– The imprisonment of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran has been extended for a further two months, the Baha’i International Community has learned.

The trial of the seven concluded on 14 June. No verdict has yet been given.

“These innocent Baha’is have now been held for more than two years under a series of successive orders for their ‘temporary’ detention, which by law must not exceed two months,” said Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

On 24 July, two days after the most recent two-month prison term concluded, the defense attorneys for the seven once again issued a formal request that the prisoners be released on bail, as permitted under Iranian law.

Since then, the judge presiding over the case has told the prisoners that their detention had once again been extended for two months.

• Read the full story from Baha’i World News Service
• Media coverage: CNN

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On Friday, July 2, BBC News covered the recent demolition of 50 Baha’i homes in Ivel, a small village in northern Iran. The report also included a summary of the history of Baha’i persecution in Iran, as well as the inconclusive trial of seven Baha’i leaders who have been imprisoned in Tehran for more than two years.

From BBC News:

First there are the images of wooden beams on fire. Then buildings come into view, some without windows and doors, others reduced to rubble.

The shaky mobile phone footage posted on YouTube by Iranian human rights activists shows scenes of destruction filmed secretly from inside a car.

The activists say the footage shows the results of an attack on the properties of Bahai residents in Ivel, a village in northern Iran.

They also say that non-Bahai residents supported the demolitions.

Bahai groups outside Iran have also received eyewitness reports from Ivel.

The witnesses said that several days before the bulldozers moved in, some people in the village signed a petition demanding the expulsion of their Bahai neighbours.

Many Bahais had left already: a number of families had fled previous attacks on Bahai property in Ivel. In 2007, for example, six houses were torched.

However, this time the Bahais left in the village complained to the police in the nearest town, Kiasar.

The police denied that there was a petition against them and refused to provide any protection.

The reports from Ivel residents say that by June 22, almost 50 houses belonging to Bahais had been flattened.

• Read more from BBC News

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On Thursday, July 1, the Houston Chronicle’s religion blog “Believe Out Loud” ran a story about a local Baha’i, Enayat Amini, who immigrated from Iran in 2004 after the authorities shut down his business because of his Baha’i beliefs.

From the article:

Nearly 70 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where religious practices are restricted and minority groups are unable to fully live out their faith, according to the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life.

On Independence Day — when Americans mark the signing of a document that affirmed equality and the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – we should be happy that we are not among that restricted population.

“I am grateful for the freedom given to me and people of all religions to practice their faith without being asked any questions,” said Enayat Amini, a 52-year-old living in west Houston.

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On June 28, the Persian-language radio station, Radio Farda, broadcast an interview with Mr. Derakhshan, one of the Baha’is whose property was destroyed in the village of Ivel, Iran.

Excerpts from the interview (via Baha’i World News Service) are transcribed below:

Mr. Derakhshan: We had heard some rumours about the destruction of the village and the burning of homes of the Baha’is but did not believe that such a thing could happen. However, we went to the offices of the governor general, the governor and the deputy governor in that district and informed them that this was what [the villagers] had said they were planning to do, and asked whether it was true. We were told not to worry and that there was not such a possibility; we believed them. However, when Mr. Mahmoud Piri and his family were going to [their home] in Ivel, as soon as they arrived in the village he was severely beaten and verbally insulted. He was told that he should not be there. At that point he noticed that they were destroying his home.

Radio Farda: Who were the people who beat and verbally abused Mr. Piri?

Mr. Derakhshan: The local residents – because they had told him that he should immediately leave the area and that he was not to get close…for 48 hours. Unfortunately, with the help of the local residents, they destroyed 50 houses, using four bulldozers. It is shocking to see 50 houses demolished and burned in one instant.

Radio Farda: What is happening to the residents of these homes and what happened to their belongings?

Mr. Derakhshan: Every house we go to, we hear their lamentations. I should mention that these friends were not living there. During the first few years after the revolution, on [28 June 1983], these people were expelled from their homes. They [the residents of the village] told them that they had to convert to Islam; they were imprisoned in a mosque, threatened and beaten with shovels and axes. They were then thrown out of the village.

Since those events, these Baha’is go to the village once a year for two to three days to harvest their crops. Of course they have to obtain a permit from the officials to be able to go there and stay in their own homes for a few days and cultivate their lands, even though most of their lands were confiscated.

Radio Farda: You mean that the owners of these homes and farms were made to obtain permits in order to be allowed to go to their own homes?

Mr. Derakhshan: Precisely. Each time or each year when they wanted to go there they had to obtain permits from the Justice Administration to be allowed to stay in their own homes for two or three days. We complained to a number of authorities concerning this issue and we were treated unkindly. When we went to the office of the deputy governor and told them that they were destroying our homes, we were told that the letters of complaint that we had written were considered to be in opposition to the regime. They even threatened to arrest us. We told them, “Our homes are being demolished right this minute. We are Baha’is and your fellow-citizens. We are not your enemies. We are not from Israel, England or America. By God, we are Iranian citizens. What should we do? God is our witness, we do not know what to do. Please help us.”

Radio Farda: Are the people who are involved in these activities the local residents or some government officials?

Mr. Derakhshan: What do you think? How could 50 homes – each having a wood storage area and a place for keeping animals – be demolished without prior arrangements? We informed [the authorities] before and during the demolition. What do you think the answer is? Besides all our friends [the Baha'i residents of the village] also informed the authorities, but unfortunately nothing was done to prevent this event.

Radio Farda: Do you think that the bulldozers were probably brought by the order of the governor or the deputy governor?

Mr. Derakhshan: We do not know and cannot say that it was ordered by someone. All we know is that unfortunately everything has been completely destroyed. It should be mentioned that when we visited the office of the governor general, we told his deputy that there was a possibility that such an incident may occur. His response amazed us; he said, “The governor general is like a physician in any society, if he feels that there is a malignant tumour in the body of the society he tries to remove it.” I now ask you a question, “How could the Baha’i farmers in the village of Ivel be considered as that malignant tumour?”

This transcript was added on June 29, 2010 to the original Baha’i World News Service report published on June 28.

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Baha’i World News Service– Homes belonging to some 50 Baha’i families in a remote village in northern Iran have been demolished as part of a long-running campaign to expel them from the region.

The action occurred in Ivel, Mazandaran, when inhabitants – incited by elements inimical to the Baha’i community – blocked normal access to the village, while allowing trucks and at least four front-end loaders to begin leveling the houses.

Amateur video, shot on mobile telephones and posted by Iranian human rights activists on the Internet, showed what appeared to be several buildings reduced to rubble as well as fiercely burning fires.

The demolitions are the latest development in an ongoing, officially-sanctioned program in the area which has targeted every activity of the Baha’is.

“They’re being forbidden to associate with Muslims, or even offer service to their friends and neighbours,” said Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

“Even the smallest acts of good will – such as taking flowers to someone who’s sick in hospital or donating gifts to an orphanage – these are being seen as actions against the regime.”

Most of the Baha’i homes in Ivel have been unoccupied since their residents fled after previous incidents of violence or as a result of official displacement.

Members of the Baha’i community have made repeated complaints both before and after the latest incident to local government officials, including to the provincial governor in Sari. In every case, knowledge of the demolitions or the motive behind them was denied.

• News coverage: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, BBC News, Voice of America (Persian), The Guardian
• Other online coverage: The National Review Online

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Baha’i World News Service— The  seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned for more than two years in Iran are scheduled to make their fourth court appearance on 12 June, according to the latest update provided by the Baha’i International Community.

The date coincides with the first anniversary of last year’s contested presidential election in Iran, as well as a global day of action aimed at calling attention to human rights abuses in that country.

The trial of the seven began on January 12, 2010, after they had been incarcerated without charge in  Evin prison for 20 months.

At the first hearing, held in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, the Baha’is categorically denied charges of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” among other allegations.

A second appearance on February 7, was concerned mainly with procedural issues.

The third session on April 12, which was purportedly a closed hearing, was adjourned after the seven – with the agreement of their attorneys – refused to be party to the proceedings because of the presence of nonjudicial personnel.

“To have spectators, including a film crew, in a supposedly closed hearing while denying entry to the defendants’ families was unacceptable,” said Diane Ala’i, Baha’i representative to the United Nations in Geneva. “There would be no objection if the trial were to be open and conducted in accordance with international standards.”

“In the court sessions held so far, no evidence of wrongdoing has been presented. As their lawyers have confirmed, the defendants are completely innocent and are being persecuted solely for their religious belief,” Ala’i said. “The Iranian government should know that its actions against these innocent citizens are under scrutiny throughout the world.”

“Once again we call for their immediate release,” Ala’i said. “Failing that, the seven should – at the very least – be released on bail pending a fair trial.”

The seven defendants are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm. Before their imprisonment, they attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i community, which numbers more than 300,000. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on March 5, 2008, and the others on May 14, 2008.

There are currently some 38 Baha’is in detention in various cities in Iran.

• Read coverage from Radio Free Europe/Radio Farda

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While in Washington, D.C.,  last week, American journalist Roxana Saberi described meeting two Iranian Baha’is during her 100-day incarceration in Evin prison, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

From the article…

At the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center and at a discussion at the National Press Club last week, Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi recounted her 100 days in Evin prison between February and May 2009 on espionage charges. While in prison, she says she became close to a number of prisoners of conscience, including the two female Baha’i leaders who have been in jail for more than two years — Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet.

She described the day of her release as bittersweet.

“As they drove me away, I remember turning my head to the side and seeing the prison disappear behind me. And finally, I cried,” Saberi said. “I realized, however, that my tears were not just tears of joy, but they were also tears of sorrow for the many innocent prisoners I was leaving behind. Why was I freed while all these others are still there?”

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On Monday, May 17, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published the following article about the two-year anniversary of the arrest of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran. Accompanying the story is a video chronicling a photo campaign initiated by the human rights group United4Iran, advocating for the release and fair trail of the seven Baha’i leaders.

From the article…

May 14 marked the second anniversary of the imprisonment of seven Baha’i leaders in Tehran, where they have been held in Evin prison in small cells and solitary confinement. Baha’is around the world gathered in their local communities last weekend to pray for their safety and timely release.

The five male leaders — Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm — share a cell. The two women leaders — Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet — have shared a cell with other female prisoners, including journalist Roxana Saberi.

During a special devotional in Washington, D.C., Shastri Purushotma, a human rights representative from the U.S. Baha’i community, said the seven are in poor condition.

“They get to talk to their families about once a week. It’s usually a 10-minute phone call through glass,” said Purushotma. He said the Baha’i members sit in rooms lighted by one bright light, and only get sunlight and fresh air a few times a week.

• Below, watch a video produced by United4Iran in support of the Baha’is

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On Friday, May 14, The Washington Times published the following article on the two-year anniversary of the arrest seven Baha’i leaders in Iran.

From the article…

Two years ago to date, the top leaders of the Baha’i movement in Iran were enjoying the last peaceful morning they would see in a long time.

While in their homes, four men and two women – a seventh leader had been arrested previously – were dragged off by government officials to one of the world’s most notorious prisons: Evin prison in northwest Tehran.

The seven were known as the Friends, a leadership cadre that provided for the needs of Iran’s 300,000-member Baha’i community. With no access to an attorney, they were charged with spying for Israel, insulting “religious sanctities” and propaganda against the Islamic republic.

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Today the Iranian-American journalist who spent 100-days imprisoned in Iran, again mentioned the persecution of the Baha’is of Iran in an op-ed published in The Washington Post on May 13.

From the article…

If the international community fails to condemn such atrocities, Iran’s regime will continue to trample on the basic rights of individuals, many of whom have been detained simply for peacefully standing up for universal human rights. It is common for Tehran’s prisoners — including journalists, bloggers, women’s rights campaigners, student activists and adherents of the minority Baha’i faith — to be held in prolonged solitary confinement without access to an attorney as they try to defend themselves against fabricated charges such as espionage and “propaganda against Islam” or the regime.

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Books about the Baha’i Faith are among a growing number of titles banned at this year’s Tehran Book Fair, according to an article published on Monday, May 10, by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

From the article…

We reported over the weekend about the banning of some books by Iranian authors at Tehran’s Book Fair.

The popular Tabnak website has posted some of the titles of the Western books that have been banned.

…The conservative website says all books acknowledging the Holocaust, books about “meditation” and “Zen therapy,” and books about the Baha’i faith, which is not recognized in the Iranian constitution, have been banned from the book fair.

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On Wednesday, April 21, the Chicago Tribune published the following article about journalist Roxana Saberi speaking at Northwestern University in Chicago to promote her new book, “Between Two Worlds.”

From the Chicago Tribune…

In prison, Saberi shared a cell with two women who were persecuted for their Baha’i beliefs. Saberi said she found the strength of those women to be very inspirational, and members of the local Baha’i community reciprocated.

“I think that she’s very courageous and her approach to what happened to her is inspirational,” said Nasreen Rahmani, an Evanston Township High School student of Baha’i faith who attended Saberi’s talk and has followed unjust treatment of the Baha’i in Iran.

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