Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

During an interview on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on Thursday, April 8, journalist Roxana Saberi mentioned that two of her cellmates in Tehran’s Evin prison were Baha’is. She explained that these women, Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi and Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, had been in captivity for nearly two years because of their Baha’i beliefs. Listen to the [...]

On Saturday, April 3, NPR’s Scott Simon interviewed journalist Roxana Saberi about her experience in Iran’s notorious Evin prison. Saberi, who is on tour promoting her new book, “Between Two Worlds,” described meeting two of the seven Baha’i leaders in Evin prison–Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi and Mrs. Mahvash Sabet–and the strength and inspiration they gave her [...]

On Wednesday night, March 31, Roxana Saberi was interviewed on The Daily Show with John Stewart. Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist, was arrested in Iran, taken to Evin prison and held there for 100 days. During her interview, she mentions that some of her prison mates were Baha’is who were charged with the crime of “promoting [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

Iranian authorities have notified the lawyers of seven imprisoned Bahá’í leaders that the next session of their trial will be held on February 7, 2010, the Bahá’í International Community announced today. After 20 months in prison, with limited access to their attorneys, the defendants— Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid [...]

The following is an update from the Baha’i World News Service regarding the trial of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran, which commenced on January 12, 2010. The trial of seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders began today in Iran. Initial reports indicate that the trial is marked by numerous violations of legal due process. “We understand that [...]

A recent state-sponsored media campaign falsely accusing Baha’i in Iran of inciting the latest wave of protests in that country has raised grave concern about the fate of seven Baha’i leaders who are expected to go on trial next Tuesday, January 12. “Over the past several days, Iranian state-sponsored media have accused the Baha’i of [...]

On October 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a vote of 407-2, a resolution condemning the government of Iran for “state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá’í minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.” H.Res.175 is the eleventh congressional resolution since 1982 to address the religious oppression of the Bahá’ís [...]

The trial of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran, which, following previous postponements, was most recently scheduled to take place on Oct. 18, 2009, will likely be delayed again. No future trial date is known at this time. Although family members of the seven Baha’i prisoners have not been informed of any change to the trial [...]

GENEVA — The trial of seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Iran has been postponed until October 18, 2009, the Baha’i International Community learned today. According to Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community representative to the United Nations in Geneva, following a request for postponement of the trial from Mr. Hadi Elsmaielzadeh and Ms. Mahnaz Parakand [...]

The seven Baha’i leaders, with spouses, before their arrest in Spring 2008. Photo courtesy of Baha’i World News Service. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following last week’s show trial of post-election protesters in Iran, seven Baha’i leaders face yet another failure of legal due process as they prepare to stand trial Aug. 18, 2009, on a series [...]

Babylon & Beyond, a Los Angeles Times blog focusing on the Middle East, published the following article about Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi–one of seven Baha’i leaders currently waiting trial in Iran. Article excerpt: Iraj Kamalabadi of Rancho Cucamonga constantly worries about his sister Fariba Kamalabadi, who is sitting in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison, nearly 7,600 miles [...]

NEW YORK,  May 12, 2009 (BWNS) – The seven Baha’i leaders currently imprisoned in Iran are facing the anniversary of their arrest this Thursday, along with new and extremely grave accusations, after spending a year in jail without formal charges or access to their lawyer, Shirin Ebadi.

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.

The Institute for Religion and Public Policy has issued the following statement condemning the upcoming trial of Baha’i leaders in Iran. Washington, DC–After Iran arrested all seven national Bahá’í leaders almost a year ago, it is now expected to put them on trial in revolutionary court next week. The charges against the seven, who are [...]

Six Nobel Peace Prize laureates have issued a statement calling on the Iranian government to immediately free seven prominent Iranian Baha’is imprisoned in Tehran.

NEW YORK, 19 June 2008 (BWNS) — Seven prominent Baha’is imprisoned in Iran have each been allowed a brief phone call to their families, the Baha’i International Community has learned.

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 [...]

Members of the national coordinating group of the Iranian Baha’i community   On May 14, Iranian intelligence officials arrested six Baha’i leaders and took them to the notorious Evin prison. The imprisonments are ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Baha’i leaders were summarily rounded up and subsequently executed.