Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

Amnesty International, United4Iran, International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Education Under Fire, The Boroumand Foundation, Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, the Baha’i national communities of the United States and Canada, and other organizations will be encouraging their supporters to spread these new Angels of Iran videos far and wide through social media.

The Education Under Fire initiative will release seven new “Angels of Iran” videos — short films of Iranian citizens’ personal stories of courage and resilience in the face of torture, imprisonment and execution under the Islamic Republic of Iran. Beginning Jan. 17, the videos will be released weekly.

“We are deeply concerned at the detention of Mr. Soltani,” said Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva. “What precisely are the motives of the Iranian authorities for this arrest, just before his clients are expected to face trial?”

British spy novelist Jon Stock featured the Iranian government’s persecution of Baha’is as a central element of Dead Spy Running. The book was published in 2009 by Thomas Dunne Books and is slated to be made into a movie set for release in 2014. In fact, the book’s climactic scene takes place outside the Baha’i House of [...]

ROUND-UP: A congressman’s website blogpost, a senator’s thoughtful letter and a prominently placed op-ed article in a metro daily newspaper—these are the latest examples of the positive outcomes of the nationwide effort by the U.S. Baha’i Community to raise awareness of the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran. Also, check out S.Res.80 and H.Res.134 for updates [...]

Amidst a series of public statements by human rights groups supporting the seven imprisoned members of the former Iranian Baha’i leadership group, Amnesty International USA has rallied its members to send greetings cards to the prisoners for the forthcoming Persian new year.   According to the Baha’i World News Service, the global support continues as Mahvash Sabet – [...]

In a public statement marking International Women’s Day, Amnesty International urges Iranian authorities “to release immediately all women detained arbitrarily in Iran, including political activists, rights defenders and members of religious and ethnic minorities.” The statement decries the unjust imprisonment by the Iranian government of innocent women who simply “wish to see greater respect for [...]

On August 10, Amnesty International issued a statement condemning the reported sentencing of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders each to 20 years in prison. News of their sentences followed six brief court appearances, which began on January 12, 2010, after they had been incarcerated without charges for 20 months. The trial ended on June 14. Statement [...]

Today, August 10, Human Rights Watch issued a public statement calling for the release of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders who were reportedly sentenced last Sunday to 20 years in prison for false charges stemming from their religious beliefs. From the Human Rights Watch statement: The Iranian judiciary should set aside any judgments issued in closed [...]

On February 17, Amnesty International issued a statement criticizing Iran for rejecting “important recommendations by the United Nations to improve human rights in the country,” including a recommendation that would end discrimination against the nation’s Baha’i minority. From the statement… While accepting a recommendation to cooperate with UN’s human rights experts, Iran rejected several others [...]

On January 22, The New York Times published the following article, written by religion columnist Samuel G. Freedman, about the persecution of the Baha’i Faith in Iran from the perspective of a D.C.-area Baha’i whose brother, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, is among seven Baha’i leaders who are currently on trial in Tehran. From the article… In [...]

The upcoming trial of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders was mentioned in an editorial published by Voice of America on Sept. 21, 2009, and excerpted below. Another group facing unjust charges are the 7 leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community, the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran. The 5 men and 2 women were arrested in the [...]

Excerpted below is a statement from Amnesty International, released on July 14, 2009, in response to news that the trial of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders had been delayed. Amnesty International is continuing to call on the Iranian authorities to release the seven immediately and unconditionally, as it considers them to be prisoners of conscience, held [...]

The Amnesty International 2009 human rights report chronicles the persecution of Baha’is in Iran and Egypt during 2008.

NEW YORK, February 15, 2009 ( BWNS) -  International reaction to news that Iran may soon put on trial seven Baha’i leaders for espionage and other charges came swiftly last week as governments, parliamentary leaders and human rights organizations expressed strong criticism of any such trial. Many called for the immediate release of the Baha’is.

Amnesty International launched an urgent action update exclusively devoted to the latest news about the Baha’i leaders in Iran.

The Agence France-Presse reported today that Iran’s judiciary has announced sentences for 54 members of the Baha’i Faith who were arrested in May 2006 in Shiraz while taking part in a project to educate underprivileged children. According to AFP, judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi told reporters that, “three Bahais have been sentenced to four years [...]

January 29, 2008 – 1:28pmGENEVA, 29 January 2008 (BWNS)–In the wake of a U.S. State Department call for Iran to release Baha’i prisoners, Amnesty International has issued an “urgent action” appeal on their behalf.

Amnesty International has issued a report Iran: New government fails to address dire human rights situation. The report includes reference to the challenging situation faced by the Baha’is in Iran.