Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

The human rights world lost two of its staunch defenders this month. Abdelfattah Amor, a noted human rights lawyer and Tunisian jurist, and Reynaldo Galindo Pohl, a prominent diplomat and professor of law from El Salvador, played key roles in exposing the harsh treatment and unjust policies of the Iranian government toward the Baha’is in Iran.

The Baha’i International Community released public statements expressing its condolences over their passing and extolling their contributions to the United Nations in their respective capacities as UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief (1993 to 2004) and UN Commission on Human Rights’ Special Representative on Iran (1987 to 1994.)

The UN General Assembly Third Committee today voted in favor of a resolution that condemned Iran for its “serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations.” The resolution – which is expected to be confirmed by the full Assembly in December – also requests that the UN Secretary General issue a report on human rights in Iran again next year.

There is much to be done for humanity to be alerted to what is going on inside Iran and to be awakened to the appalling memory of what can occur when we fail to act against state-sponsored campaigns of hatred.

“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?”

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.

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, [...]

Iran’s beleaguered Baha’i community has again received the unqualified support of 16-term Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf, co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Following the arrests of more than a dozen faculty and administrators of a peaceful education program for Baha’i students shunned by Iranian universities, Rep. Wolf made these remarks on the House [...]

* 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 [...]

Read on the Baha’i World News Service NEW YORK — As seven Baha’i leaders in Iran complete their third year in jail, the Baha’i International Community has confirmed that the two women amongst them have been transferred to another prison. The seven were all members of a national-level ad hoc group that helped attend to [...]

Iranian authorities have arrested a number of Baha’is who provided education to children in a region devastated by an earthquake seven years ago. The Baha’i International Community has so far been able to confirm the arrest of four Baha’is this month in connection with the provision of kindergarten-level education in Iran’s Kerman Province, south-east of [...]

The Baha’i International Community has described as “desperately cruel” the fact that one of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders has been unable to attend the funeral of his own wife. 81 year old Mrs. Ashraf Khanjani – who was married to Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani for more than 50 years – died yesterday morning at the family [...]

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 – [...]

The Baha’i World News Service has reported that Iran’s seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders were transferred on Saturday, February 12, 2011 to more brutal sections of the notorious Gohardasht Prison complex, raising concerns, in the case of two Baha’i women, Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet, that it may have been orchestrated as a means of creating [...]

Baha’i World News Service– In an open letter to the head of Iran’s Judiciary, the Baha’i International Community today contrasted the country’s persecution of Baha’is with Iran’s own call for Muslim minorities to be treated fairly in other countries. “We…request that the Baha’is in that country be granted their full rights of citizenship, in order [...]

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 [...]

Baha’i World News Service – The trial of seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned for more than two years in Iran seems to have come to a conclusion after three days of successive court hearings. The seven appeared in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on the morning of Saturday, 12 June and returned to [...]

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 [...]

Baha’i World News Service–Details are emerging from yesterday’s court appearance [on April 12] in Tehran of seven imprisoned Iranian Baha’i leaders. The Baha’i International Community has learned that when the prisoners arrived at the court, their families were not allowed to enter, signaling a closed hearing. Inside the courtroom, however, the prisoners saw numerous officials [...]

Baha’i World News Service–The seven imprisoned Iranian Baha’i leaders were called to court today, April 12, in Tehran for a third session in their trial. The hearing was again closed, and no details are available. “We know that a session did take place, but we do not have any specific information from reliable sources,” said [...]