Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

The Leadership Council for Human Rights has made a statement condemning the arrests of Bahá’í leaders in Iran, and has called for their immediate release.

The U.S. Department of State has issued the following statement about the recent arrests: “We strongly condemn the May 14 arrest of six leaders of the Iranian Baha’i community– Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm–by Iranian authorities and the continued imprisonment of [...]

The Institute on Religion and Public Policy issued a statement about the arrests of Baha’i leaders in Iran.

Iran Visual News Corps posted an article concerning the arrest of the six Baha’i leaders.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today called on the Iranian judicial authorities to account for the detention of the six leading members of the Baha’i Faith, who have been taken to Evin prison.

The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center has condemned the arrest of Baha’i leaders in Iran.

On May 2, 2008, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced its recommendations to the State Department for Countries of Particular Concern for 2008. Iran was among these countries and its treatment of Bahá’ís was listed among reasons for the recommendation of Iran:

On Thursday, March 13, witnesses testified about the human rights situations of Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities before the Iran Working Group, a Congressional body co-chaired by Congressman Mark Kirk and Congressman Robert Andrews. The meeting included a testimony on the situation of the Baha’is in Iran, by Ms. Kit Bigelow, Director of External Affairs [...]

The U.S. Department of State released, on March 11, 2008, its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007. The section on Iran has several references to the difficulties experienced by the Baha’i community in Iran.

On February 28, 2008, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (IL – 10th district) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran. H. RES. 1008 is the tenth congressional resolution since 1982 on the Baha’is in Iran.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom held a public hearing on February 21, 2008, entitled “Advancing Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights in Iran: Strategies for an Effective U.S. Policy”.

NEW YORK 22 February 2008 (BWNS) The Iranian Parliament is considering legislation that would institutionalize a series of gross human rights violations, affecting not only Baha’is but many others, even outside of Iran, the Baha’i International Community said today.

The Middle East Times published today an article about the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran.

GENEVA February 6, 2008 (BWNS) Accusations by the Iranian government that 54 Baha’is were engaged in anti-regime “propaganda” when they were arrested almost two years ago are patently false, the Baha’i International Community reported today.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) specifically mentioned the situation of the Baha’is in Iran and in Egypt in its recently published World Report 2008. The report deals with human rights concerns in countries throughout the world.

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.

Sean McCormack, U.S. State Department spokesman, issued a statement yesterday expressing deep concern for the tragic death of an Iranian Kurdish student detained by the Ministry of Intelligence. The statement also called for the Iranian regime to release all individuals held without due process and a fair trial, including three young Bahá’ís.

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution expressing “deep concern” about “ongoing systematic violations of human rights” in Iran. This is the 20th resolution that the General Assembly has passed on this issue, which was adopted by a final vote of 73 to 53, with 55 abstentions.

President Faust of Harvard University has sent a letter to the Permanent Representative of Iran at the United Nations expressing her concern regarding the systematic denial of access to higher education to members of the Bahá’í community in Iran.