Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

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.

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 [...]

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 [...]

Baha’i World News Service– Following the demolition of Baha’i homes in the Iranian village of Ivel – reported last week – there is another story that must also be told: that of sympathetic villagers who have commiserated with their Baha’i neighbors over the injustices they have been forced to endure. It is also the story [...]

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 [...]

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 — On a global day of action highlighting human rights abuses in Iran, the European Union and the Prime Minister of Canada issued strong statements calling for Iran to respect international law. In a declaration made on behalf of the European Union, its High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, [...]

Baha’i World News Service (New Delhi) — On the eve of the fourth court hearing for Iran’s seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders, voices are being raised around the world for them to be freed. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Delhi has addressed Iran’s Supreme Leader calling for the release of the seven, “or at the very [...]

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 [...]

This Friday, May 14, marks the two-year anniversary of the arrest of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders on a series of false charges stemming from their membership with the minority Baha’i Faith. They are still in prison today. The seven defendants are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash [...]

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 [...]

The Baha’i World News Service–The Baha’i International Community has learned that there was a miscommunication as to the date of the trial of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Tehran. A court session believed to have been scheduled for today is set for Monday, 12 April.

Baha’i World News Service – A third session of the court proceedings against seven imprisoned Iranian Baha’i leaders is scheduled for tomorrow, April 10,  in Tehran. It is unknown whether the hearing – scheduled in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court – will be open to families of the defendants and other observers. The first [...]

The third court session for seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Iran is scheduled for April 10, a day earlier than originally announced. Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva, said attorneys in Iran have now received written notice of the court date, confirming it as Saturday, April 10. [...]

The trial proceedings for seven Iranian Baha’i leaders who have been in prison for nearly two years will continue on Sunday, April 11, according to information conveyed orally to their attorneys. Government-sponsored news media reported that at their first hearing on January 12, 2010, the seven were charged with espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic [...]

On February 14, 2010, English-language news outlets, including the Associated Press, Reuters and Voice of America, reported that at least five more Baha’is have been arrested in Iran. This follows the arrest of 13 Iranian Baha’is on January 3; ten of whom remain in prison. There are currently around 60 Baha’is in prison throughout Iran, [...]

Seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders appeared in court yesterday in Iran for the second closed session of their trial. Family members were not permitted into the courtroom and the hearing, which lasted just over one hour, does not seem to have gone beyond procedural issues. No date was given for any future sessions. The seven defendants—Mrs. [...]

The Baha’i International Community has issued a statement condemning the trial of 16 individuals in Iran on January 30 as a “violation of all internationally accepted standards of legal due process.” The statement highlights the lack of proper legal representation for the defendants and the use of unreliable “confessions” in the trial. One of the [...]