Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

Video: On May 12, 2011, Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois hosted a reception to raise awareness about the seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Iran. Actress Eva LaRue is among the notable figures offering their support. Also featured are U.S. Representative from New York, Michael Grimm; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Kathleen Fitzpatrick; Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the U.S. Kenneth E. Bowers; and brother of one of the imprisoned leaders, Iraj Kamalabadi.

Participants in the Capitol Hill reception to honor the seven leaders of the Iranian Baha’i community, entering their fourth year of imprisonment, included: U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, U.S. Representative Michael Grimm, State Department’s Kathleen Fitzpatrick, CSI:Miami star Eva LaRue, Grammy winner KC Porter and more – Replay the livestream! WASHINGTON—A reception honoring Iran’s seven imprisoned [...]

In response to a message from the national governing council of the Baha’is of the U.S. urging individuals to call their U.S. senators and representatives on behalf of the seven Baha’i leaders currently imprisoned in Iran, one young woman turned to Facebook to help support the effort. Before a week had passed, more than 10,000 [...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, May 5, 2011 Contact: Ginous Alford  | O: 202-833-8990 |  M: 202-643-1612 |  USBahaiMedia@usbnc.org **MEDIA ADVISORY** BELIEF BEHIND BARS: Lawmakers, performers to drum up support at Capitol Hill reception for Iran’s seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders Remarks from special guests: U.S. Senator Mark Kirk U.S. Representative Michael Grimm Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for [...]

DOWNLOAD PDF: Please share this invitation to attend or stream live over the Web the reception on May 12 to commemorate the third anniversary of the incarceration of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders. Live streaming will be available online. Stay tuned!

On April 28, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2011 Annual Report . The report describes - beginning on page 78 – the “severe” persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran from April 2010 to March 2011.  Iran is one of 14 countries USCIRF recommends that the Secretary of State name “countries of particular concern” or [...]

Three short films released today, featuring interviews with Iranian Baha’is whose families have been persecuted by the Iranian government, mark the launch of a series of mini-documentaries – titled “Angels of Iran” – that focus on the country’s human rights record. Executives chose the day celebrating the ancient Persian new year, Naw Ruz, as the [...]

Roxana Saberi, the American journalist of Iranian and Japanese descent who was imprisoned in Iran’s Evin prison in 2009, has written an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal calling for the release of two Baha’i women with whom she shared a cell. Saberi recalled the kindness shown to her and other prisonmates by 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 [...]

Blogger Reza Aslan weighs in on how each individual can play a part in supporting the spread of human rights at this crucial time in a critical part of the world: As the Iranian regime continues to tighten the noose of oppression around the throats of all its citizens, one group of Iranians is being [...]

After meeting with a delegation of her Baha’i constituents, U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney from New York’s 14th District released a statement on March 1 expressing concern about the treatment of Baha’is in Iran. The delegation requested the meeting with Congresswoman Maloney to consult with her about the unjust sentencing of the former Baha’i leadership group [...]

Four members of Congress from Illinois, the state that is home to the Baha’i House of Worship for North America, are asking the U.S. government to call on the Iranian government to change its policies towards the Baha’is. The two U.S. Senators are Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin and the two U.S. Representatives are Robert Dold and Dan Lipinski. [...]

On Tuesday, February 8, The Huffington Post published an opinion article about the persecution of Baha’is in Iran by Anthony Vance, Director of External Affairs for the Baha’is of the United States. It describes the recent burning of Baha’i-owned businesses, whose owners were accused of befriending Muslims in their community, as well as a series [...]

On December 3, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback introduced a resolution condemning Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. “We are deeply grateful to Senator Brownback and all those who have contributed to a strong legacy of U.S. congressional support for international religious freedom,” [...]

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 — A committee of the UN General Assembly today sharply criticized Iran for its continued and increasing violations of human rights. By a vote of 80 to 44, the Assembly’s Third Committee approved a resolution that “expresses deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations” in Iran. There were [...]

On Saturday, October 9, the British newspaper The Guardian published a letter decrying the lack of due process leading up to the sentencing of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders in August. Rosalyn Higgins QC Former international judge; Linda Lee President, Law Society; Mark Muller QC Chairman, Bar human rights committee co-authored the letter, which called for [...]

On September 29, 2010, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont issued the following statement on behalf of the persecuted Baha’i religious minority in Iran: Mr. President, I want to take a moment to call the Senate’s attention to members of the Baha’i faith who have and continue to suffer severe persecution by the Iranian Government. [...]

Baha’i World News Service– The 20-year prison sentences received by Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders have reportedly been reduced. The Baha’i International Community has learned that the lawyers representing the seven were informed orally yesterday that the 20-year jail terms have now been reduced to 10 years. The seven – Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, [...]

On Tuesday, August 31, CNN’s Belief Blog published an article about Minoo Vosough, an Iranian Baha’i who was arrested in 1984, at the age of 27, and held in Evin and Gohardasht prisons for 3 months before her release. Seven Iranian Baha’i leaders were transferred from Evin to Gohardasht earlier this month following more than [...]