The arrest, trial and reported sentencing of the seven Baha’i leaders – as well as the ongoing persecution faced by Iran’s 300,000-strong Baha’i community – has prompted governments, nongovernmental organizations, and prominent individuals to issue statements in response. Some are reproduced here.
In a statement marking UN Human Rights Day, 10 December 2012, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird recommitted Canada to "working toward the promotion of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world." In Iran, he said, "egregious human rights violations are a daily occurrence. Iran’s persecution of religious minorities, including Baha'is and Christians, is deeply troubling. Canada will continue to take a leadership role at the United Nations in condemning the human rights situation in Iran." (10 December 2012)
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2012/12/10b.aspx
The Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly expressed "deep concern" over "ongoing and recurring" human rights violations in Iran.By a vote of 83 to 31 with 68 abstentions, the Committee called upon Iran to stop such violations, to release prisoners of conscience, and to open its doors to international human rights monitors. (27 November 2012)
A host of well-known personalities have joined a campaign to show support for victims of human rights abuses in Iran.Under the banner, "Prominent Hungarians for Human Rights in Iran," the celebrities say they want to encourage sustained international attention on the issue, which includes the ongoing violations faced by Iran's Baha'i community. (25 November 2012)
In a written statement, German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Markus Löning, has condemned the persecution of Baha'is in Iran, in particular in the city of Semnan. "Attacks, arrests and targeted intimidation of members of the Baha'is are just as unacceptable as the arbitrary closing of shops and expulsions of students from Iranian universities," wrote Mr.Löning. "I appeal to the Iranian government to immediately stop the persecution of the Bahais and to adhere to its international obligations." (14 November 2012)
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2012/121114-MRHH_Bahai.html?nn=344866
In a debate held at Westminster Hall, UK members of Parliament from across the political spectrum focused on the Iranian government’s systematic persecution of Baha’is and other religious minorities. Alistair Burt, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office, said “any state [that] can treat its religious minorities in this way is shocking and all the more so given the religious underpinning of the current regime and its oft-stated claim to respect human rights.” (24 October 2012)
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, call for a "thorough and independent review" of "all cases against individuals arrested and prosecuted on charges related to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion and belief." Dr. Bielefeldt called for the protection of Baha'is and other religious minorities who are not recognised in Iran's Constitution. (25 September 2012)
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E
The Slovak Republic's former Prime Minister, Professor Iveta Radičová, and a former Education Minister, Professor Ján Pišút, are among 84 prominent figures to sign an open letter expressing their "displeasure regarding the treatment of Baha'i students and teachers in Iran." It states, "These individuals are being punished by the state administration because of their efforts to become educated.” (17 September 2012)
In the Australian Senate, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bob Carr responded to a question about steps that Australia is taking to promote and protect human rights, including minority rights in Iran. “On 23 October 2011, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief described the treatment of the 300,000 Baha'is as among the most extreme manifestation of religious intolerance and persecution in the world,” said Senator Carr. “Both in Australia and in Iran we have called for the protection and promotion of rights to freedom of assembly and expression, respect for gender equality, the repeal of the death penalty and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities to be upheld.” (18 September 2012)
Brazilian Federal Deputies Luiz Couto and Roberto de Lucena shared reports of intensifying persecution of Baha’is in Iran with the House of Representatives. “Those who know the Baha’is anywhere in the world are well aware that these people are peaceful and dedicated to the promotion of equality and justice in the communities where they reside…” said Mr. de Lucena. “Even with such universal principles, even without engaging in any partisan political activity, the Baha’is in Iran are being widely persecuted by the authoritarian regime of the Iranian government. Brazil cannot be complicit with the restriction of the right to religious freedom of Baha'is or other religious groups that are also persecuted…We need to unite to demand an end to the progressive violence.” (22 August 2012)
In a statement, the German Federal Government's Human Rights Commissioner Markus Löning expressed his grave concern at the “worryingly large number of death sentences or long prison terms” recently “imposed by Iranian courts on members of minorities in Iran.” “I call on Iran to respect the human rights of all its citizens equally, and to protect these human rights, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation.” (3 July 2012)
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2012/120703_MRHHB_Iran.html
On 14 June, the European Parliament passed a resolution by majority vote expressing its “serious concern at the steadily deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, including for persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, due to systematic political, economic, social, and cultural discrimination.” The resolution, specifically, called upon the Iranian authorities “to guarantee religious freedom in accordance with the Iranian constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to put a stop in practice to discrimination against and harassment of non-Shia Muslims and Christian minorities and the systematic persecution of the Baha’i minority and the application of the death penalty to converts from Islam…” The resolution reaffirmed the Parliament’s readiness to engage in human rights dialogue with Iran and called upon Iranian authorities to “demonstrate that they are fully committed to cooperating with the international community in improving the human rights situation in Iran.” (14 June 2012)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P7-RC-2012-0309&language=EN
At a press briefing to announce the release of the 2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor – Michael H. Posner – mentioned the seven imprisoned former Baha’i leaders. “I want to in particular single out the case of the seven Baha’i leaders who were sentenced to 20 years in prison,” said Mr. Posner. “The sentence was reinstated last year…In May, they marked four years of a 20-year sentence for basically practicing their religion. It is a human rights situation that is very disturbing, and we’ll continue to call it out.” A section of the report describes how the constitution in Iran allows the government to seize property acquired “in a manner not in conformity with Islamic law” and how this law has been used to harass religious minorities, particularly Baha’is. (24 May 2012)
In a Canadian House of Commons “take note” debate marking the fourth anniversary of the arrest of Iran’s seven former Baha’i leaders, Scott Reid MP described Iran's persecution of Baha'is as "one of the great tragedies of modern times." Opening the debate, Deepak Obhrai – Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs – said that Iran's refusal to respect human rights obligations is a "violation not just of universally recognized norms and standards but of those enshrined within its own constitution.” A “take note” debate is an opportunity to discuss an issue of special concern, often in a non-partisan spirit. (14 May 2012)
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird issued a statement marking the fourth anniversary of the imprisonment of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders. “Canada remains deeply concerned by Iran’s ongoing, persistent and pervasive persecution of religious minorities,” said Minister Baird. “Today, on the fourth anniversary of the arbitrary arrest and detention of seven Iranian Baha'i community leaders, we are again reminded of the troubling state of human rights in Iran. Iranian authorities continually undermine the right to freedom of religion by tolerating and even encouraging persecution of Baha'is, Christians and members of other minority religious communities. Freedom of religion is a universal human right…We urge Iran to uphold its international obligations and allow for freedom of religion, and to respect the fundamental rights of its people.” (14 May 2012)
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2012/05/14a.aspx?view=d
Opening the daily press briefing, U.S. State Department, spokesperson Victoria Nuland called attention to the cumulative total of incarceration of 10,000 days in Iranian prison for the seven Baha’i leaders. “We condemn Iran’s ongoing persecution and arrests of Baha’i community members, and we continue to be deeply concerned by the harassment and intimidation of all religious minorities in Iran…[a]nd we renew our call on the Iranian authorities to release the seven Baha’i leaders and immediately guarantee all religious communities the right to practice their religion freely.” (2 April 2012)
In an initiative coordinated by human rights organization United4Iran, the image of the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders was widely displayed in 12 major cities, marking the combined total of 10,000 days that the seven have so far spent in prison. (1 April 2012)
A resolution is passed condemning the government of Iran for its systematic campaign of persecution of Baha'is and calling for the release of all Iranian prisoners held solely for their religious beliefs. The resolution also called for sanctions against Iranian officials directly responsible for human rights violations. (29 March 2012)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:SE00080:@@@L&summ2=m&
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has described how the "government of Iran continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused." Conditions continued to deteriorate during the past year especially for Baha'is, as well as Christians and Sufi Muslims, the USCIRF wrote in its annual report. (20 March 2012)
http://www.uscirf.gov/images/Annual%20Report%20of%20USCIRF%202012(2).pdf
The Committee on International Freedom of Scientists of the American Physical Society urged the Iranian authorities to free imprisoned Baha'i educators. The Committee – which monitors the human rights of scientists around the world, and assists those in need – appealed to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to "immediately and unconditionally release" all imprisoned individuals affiliated with the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education and to "allow the Baha'i Institute to freely operate, and to ensure that all Iranian students have access to higher education." (29 February 2012)
In Iran, writes Irwin Cotler MP for Mount Royal in The Huffington Post, “a massive domestic repression has been passing quietly under the international radar screen…Simply put, we have been witnessing a state-sanctioned assault on the human rights of the Iranian people.” Among the offences cited, “the imprisonment of the entire Baha'i leadership…” Mr Cotler concludes: “We cannot abandon the people of Iran who are themselves the targets and victims of the Iranian regime's massive assault on human rights. We must champion their case and cause, let them know that the world is watching, that they are not alone, and that we stand in solidarity with them.” (2 March 2012)
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/irwin-cotler/election-iran_b_1315857.html
In a new survey, Amnesty International reports a wave of recent arrests of lawyers, students, journalists, political activists, filmmakers, and religious and ethnic minorities in Iran. Widespread restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly are described, as well as torture, other ill-treatment and poor conditions in detention. The document reports an increase in the number and severity of attacks against Baha'is – attacks that have ranged from arrests to arson, and the publishing of slanderous articles in the press. (2 March 2012)
A reception in the U.S. Capitol sought to promote the passage of House Resolution 134 and Senate resolution 80, which condemn the persecution of Iran's Baha'i community. They also call for sanctions against Iranian officials who are "directly responsible for egregious human rights violations in Iran, including against the Baha'i Community." "We must let the Iranian government know that we are not going to tolerate the unjust persecution of the Baha'is or of any religion or of any Iranian citizen," Representative Michael Grimm of New York told the audience. Representative Howard Berman of California – a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee – listed a series of abuses against Iranian Baha'is and asked, "What kind of a sick regime treats citizens this way?" (15 February 2012)
A conference on Iran's effort to bar young Baha'is from higher education drew participation from government officials, diplomats, academics and human rights groups. Georgi Kalaydzhiev of the Bulgarian Prime Minister's office pledged the support of the Prime Minister in helping to defend Iranian Baha'is. (9 February 2012)
In a motion supported by both government and opposition MPs in Australia's House of Representatives, parliamentarians urged their counterparts in Iran to promote and protect the fundamental human rights of Iranian citizens. Iranian MPs were also called upon specifically to investigate the denial of access to higher education for student activists, Baha'is and others, and to seek a judicial review of the trials of the seven former Baha'i leaders, as well as human rights defenders and lawyers. (13 February 2012)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/887_Australian_debate.pdf
Twenty-five members of Canada’s senate have condemned the Iranian government’s abuse of human rights and called for the immediate release of all of Iran’s unlawfully held political prisoners. More than 25 prisoners were highlighted, among them two of the seven jailed leaders, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Mahvash Sabet. (10 February 2012)
In a statement concerning various human rights abuses in Iran, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird noted the prison sentences given to “administrators of the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education…solely on the basis of their faith.” Minister Baird stated that “Iran’s current leaders regularly ignore their obligations under international law and have failed to meet internationally recognized norms of due process and transparency…We call on Iran to reverse its current course and meet its international human rights obligations and release prisoners…who have failed to receive fair and transparent legal treatment.” (29 January 2012)
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2012/01/29a.aspx?view=d
Sixty-eight prominent Romanians – from the worlds of academia, arts, banking, business, media and medicine – appeal to the Iranian authorities to cease its systematic campaign of persecution of the Baha'is, "who seek only their rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the right to life, the right to liberty and security of person, the right to education and work, and the right to practice their religion..." (25 January 2012)
Canadian Member of Parliament, Irwin Cotler, writing for the Huffington Post, says that the arrest of Iranian Baha’i educators underscores the arbitrary persecution and prejudicial treatment inflicted upon the Baha'is in Iran. The international community must “hold Iran accountable for its ongoing criminalization of innocence and its state-sanctioned incitement to hate,” says Mr. Cotler. (18 January 2012)
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/irwin-cotler/bahai-iran-politics_b_1213311.html?ref=canada-politics
In a proclamation issued by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Slovakian parliament, the Iranian government's incitement to hatred based on religion and belief is described as "abhorrent." The statement also says that the "regime's endeavors to persecute Baha'is is chilling indeed," and demands an end to Iran's "spiralling efforts to destroy the Iranian Baha'i community." (20 January 2012)
In a debate held at Westminster Hall, Members of Parliament highlighted the fact that virtually every religious minority in Iran is now facing oppression. Some 19 MPs, representing the UK's three major parties, participated in the debate. Alistair Burt, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said that “Iran's failure to meet its obligations is punishing and stifling the fulfilment of the wishes and aspirations of millions of people." (11 January 2012)
Writing for the PoliticsHome website, MP for Liverpool Riverside Louise Ellman highlights Iran’s “government sponsored campaign against the Baha’I community including arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, harassment of schoolchildren and the denial of access to higher education, jobs and business licenses…It is vital that Members of Parliament highlight the lack of political freedoms in Iran and the millions who have faced persecution as a result. These abuses need to be bought to the forefront of popular consciousness. International organisations must put pressure on the Iranian authorities and hopefully bring about real change.” (11 January 2012)
In an article in the Huffington Post, Canada’s former minister of foreign affairs and president of the University of Winnipeg, Lloyd Axworthy, and Allan Rock – who is president of the University of Ottawa and former Canadian ambassador to the UN – speak of how “deeply troubled” they are that Baha’is are denied access to higher education in Iran, and express concern that “the brutal regime in Tehran has turned a deaf ear” to calls to end the systematic persecution. (5 January 2012)
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/allan-rock/bahai-iran-politics_b_1186039.html
Almost 50 leaders of medical education joined the worldwide protest against the Iranian government's persecution of Baha'i students and educators. Forty-eight Deans and Senior Vice-Presidents - who between them head more than a third of American medical schools - signed an open letter addressed to Iran's representative to the United Nations. "We … urge your government to release the instructors and administrators of BIHE from prison,” the letter said. “We also request that your government extend Baha'i students and faculty in Iran the same rights to education that we offer every student and professor at our institutions regardless of their heritage, religion or country of origin." (7 December 2011)
http://www.edu-right.net/statement/38-statement/746-medicalschooldeansbiheletter
US Senators Mark Kirk and Joseph Lieberman, Canadian MP Irwin Cotler, British MP Denis MacShane, Australian MP Michael Danby, Italian MP Fiamma Nirenstein, and Lithuanian MP Emanuelis Zingeris released a joint statement of solidarity with Iran's youth on Student Day. Among the expressions of support, the statement condemened the denial of education to thousands of Baha'i students and called for the immediate release of seven imprisoned Baha'i educators. (6 December 2011)
At an ongoing enquiry in the Canadian Senate, Senator Romeo Dallaire, the former UN peacekeeping force commander who tried to stop the 1990s genocide in Rwanda, has said that Iran's current actions against Baha'is remind him of what he witnessed in Africa. (29 November 2011)
http://bahainews.ca/images/Dallaire-statement.pdf
Canada's first Muslim senator has strongly criticized Iran for its prosecution and imprisonment of Baha'i educators. Senator Mobina Jaffer said that it was "unprecedented" that Iran has now criminalized the education of young people. (1 December 2011)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/Sen/Chamber/411/Debates/036db_2011-12-01-e.htm#5
By a vote of 86 to 32, with 59 abstentions, the UN General Assembly's Third Committee approved a six-page resolution that catalogs a wide range of abuses in Iran, including "a dramatic increase" in executions, the use of torture, the systematic targeting of human rights defenders, pervasive violence against women, and continuing discrimination against minorities, including members of the Baha'i Faith. (21 November 2011)
In adopting a resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran, the European Parliament cited numerous concerns, ranging from increased executions and the widespread use of torture to the systematic oppression of human rights defenders, journalists, women and minorities. The resolution also took note of Iran's increased persecution of Baha'is, noting they "suffer heavy discrimination, including denial of access to education" and that seven Baha'i leaders remain imprisoned and "over 100 community members remain under arrest." (17 November 2011)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P7-RC-2011-0594&language=EN
In an open letter, 26 international filmmakers, producers and actors called upon the Brazilian government to speak up for the rights of filmmakers, journalists and Baha’i educators imprisoned in Iran and to call for their immediate release. Among the signatories are acclaimed directors Hector Babenco, Atom Egoyan, Jorge Furtado, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Walter Salles. (4 November 2011)
In an open letter published in The Irish Times, more than 50 academics in Ireland are calling upon the Iranian authorities to cease their attacks on the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education and to allow all students in Iran access to higher education. It also calls for the release of all Bahá'ís that have been arrested and held in prison. “Justice demands no less than this,” the letter says. (4 November 2011)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2011/1104/1224307039487.html
In an open letter addressed to Kamran Daneshjoo, Iran’s Minister for Science, Research and Technology, 45 professors in Germany wrote of their shock at observing “that higher education is being denied to young people of diverse groups in your country – one of the oldest cultural nations of mankind – in accordance with national policy. Those affected include a large number of Bahá’í youth, who over the last three decades have systematically been prevented by the authorities of your land from pursuing higher education.” Speaking of the seven jailed Baha’i educators, the professors demanded “the immediate release of these unjustly imprisoned individuals.” (2 November 2011)
Markus Löning – Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office – “ learned with dismay that seven representatives of the Baha'is were sentenced to prison terms of four to five years.” In a statement, Mr. Löning said: “Once again I urge the Iranian Government to grant religious freedom to which it has comitted itself under international law. Even the human rights of minorities must be respected and protected. The accused must have a right to a transparent process in according to the principles of the rule of law. Apparently the seven defendants have been accused of joining forces in a subversive group. However this "group" is a distance learning university, which was founded many years ago to allow the otherwise excluded Baha’is from studying to have higher education. A trial observation on behalf of the EU was not permitted by the Iranian authorities…”
Rolf Mützenich MP, foreign policy spokesperson of the Social Democratic parliamentary group (SPD) in the German Bundestag said: “The long-term prison sentence of seven Bahá'ís shows once again that Iran heavily violates the rights of minorities and dissenters. The judgment made by the revolutionary court is inacceptable, and the religious intolerance it reflects is intolerable. The federal government must use its diplomatic options in order to protest against the unfair trial and the dubious verdict. It has to insist that the sentence will not be final. The convicts worked at Bahá'í educational institutions in Iran. Iran denies the Bahá’ís access to institutions of higher education. That in itself is a serious violation of basic human rights. The educational institutions of the Bahá’ís are meant to compensate the lack of educational opportunities. It is urgently necessary for the Iranian government to end its discrimination against the Bahá’ís and to respect their basic rights to education and to practicing their faith.” (21 October 2011)
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2011/111021-MRHH_Iran.html?nn=344866
Two Brazilian parliamentarians have issued statements in support of seven Baha’i educators imprisoned in Iran for four- and five-year jail terms. Federal Representative Luiz Couto, former president of the Human Rights Comission of the Federal Chamber of Deputies, said: "We all know the work that is developed by the Bahá'ís in Brazil in the areas of equality, justice and human rights; and many of us are also familiar with their educational work in the communities…Why can't these people have the right to profess their faith?" In his statement, Federal Deputy Roberto de Lucena, said "Maybe it is time that the Brazilian government re-evaluate our relations with Iran in a human rights perspective.” (20 October 2011)
http://bahaisnoira-congresso.blogspot.com/2011/10/deputado-federal-luiz-couto-20-de.html
http://bahaisnoira-congresso.blogspot.com/2011/10/deputado-federal-roberto-de-lucena-20.html
More than 40 distinguished philosophers and theologians from 16 countries have joined the condemnation of Iran's policy to bar young Baha'is and others from higher education. In an unprecedented global initiative, the 43 prominent academics – of Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim backgrounds – have signed an open letter, published in The Daily Telegraph (UK), and reported in the Folha de São Paulo (Brazil). The letter condemns in particular recent attacks by the Iranian authorities on an informal educational initiative of the Baha'i community – known as the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) – in which Baha'i professors, debarred by the Iranian government from practicing their professions, voluntarily offer their services to teach young community members who are banned from higher education. (10 October 2011)
Resuming a debate calling the attention of the Canadian Senate to the deteriorating human rights situation of the Baha'is in Iran, Senator Hugh Segal said that the suffering heaped on Baha'is is "neither isolated nor peripheral. It is systematic and brutal, especially when the Baha'i are known as a peaceful faith that embraces the sanctity of all religions. The official Iranian oppression of Baha'i is more than the canary in the mineshaft. It is a clarion call to humanity and to free peoples and democracies everywhere to look directly at the harsh colors of the Iranian reality and not look away until the challenge is faced head on." (5 October 2011)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/Sen/Chamber/411/Debates/017db_2011-10-05-e.htm#28
Two Nobel Peace Prize winners sharply criticize the Iranian government, comparing its actions to "the Dark Ages of Europe" or the "Spanish Inquisition." The remarks by Desmond Tutu, the Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, and Jose Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor, appear in an open letter to the academic community published in the Huffington Post. The Nobel laureates call upon the Iranian government to release unconditionally and drop charges against the seven Baha'is currently on trial in Iran for their educational activities. (26 September 2011)
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton named Iran among eight "Countries of Particular Concern" in relation to its repression of religious minorities. "In Iran, authorities continue to repress Sufi Muslims, evangelical Christians, Jews, Baha'is, Sunnis, Ahmadis, and others who do not share the government's religious views," said Secretary Clinton at the launch of the State Department's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. (13 September 2011)
In a statement, Baroness Catherine Ashton – High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission – expressed her “serious concern about the recent wave of arrests of Baha’i citizens, and the shutting down of an educational centre of the Baha’i community in Iran…The European Union calls on Iran to immediately release all individuals detained on religious grounds, to put an end to the ongoing persecution of the Baha’i community, including in the field of education, and to refrain from all forms of discrimination against religious minorities, so as to guarantee the full respect for freedom of religion or belief in Iran.” (5 September 2011)
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/124507.pdf
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird notes "with regret the reports that Iranian authorities have imprisoned an additional 11 individuals associated with the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education. Their detentions are based on unfounded charges of conspiring against national security. This institute provides valuable educational services to the Bahá’í community, which is denied formal higher education in Iran." (2 September 2011)
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2011/253.aspx
“The Board of Deputies and the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) are united in their condemnation of the arrest and detention of eleven senior Bahá’í educationalists in Iran…The mistreatment of religious minorities does not demonstrate a strong society. Only through fostering a culture of mutual respect can Iran progress to a legal and political situation worthy of all its citizens. The Board and the UJS believe that all people, and all Iranians, should be given equal access to higher education on the basis of merit, and not de-barred because of their religious beliefs. We call for the immediate release of the eleven imprisoned Bahá’í educationalists, as well as the others who have been detained or sentenced on the basis of their faith. (17 August 2011)
The organization that represents all 39 of Australia’s universities has raised the issue of the attack on the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education with the Secretary-General of UNESCO. “Australian universities are united in their strong support for facilitating access to education for all, irrespective of religious faith,” the letter from Universities Australia said. “We have previously written to express concern about the difficulties Iranian Baha’i were having in accessing tertiary education in that country.” The letter said that the organization was concerned to learn that the situation appears to have worsened. Copies of the letter were also sent to UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd, and the Iranian ambassador to Australia. (14 July 2011)
Among other matters discussed during a meeting in Vienna between Austria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Spindelegger and Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Akbar Salehi, Mr. Spindelegger expressed Austria’s concern over Iran’s human right situation, in particular a recent wave of executions and the difficulties faced by religious minorities, such as the Baha'is. “I appeal to Iran to now change its course and keep to its international promises and obligations,” said Mr. Spindelegger. (12 July)
The members of the Board of Directors of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) – a worldwide organization of academics – denounce the recent raids on homes and the imprisonment of faculty and administrators of the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) and demand the immediate release of the faculty and staff members still imprisoned. SPME also encourages faculty from around the world to endorse the demand for the immediate release of prisoners. (8 July 2011)
In a statement to the Canadian Senate, Senator Mobina Jaffer related how Iranian authorities conducted a series of coordinated raids on 30 Baha'i homes, confiscated computers and papers, and arrested the 16 Baha'is most closely involved with the organization of the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education. "We as Canadians can be proud that prestigious Canadian universities have admitted Baha'i Institute graduates into postgraduate programs where they have excelled. We also can be dismayed that Iran refuses to recognize these Canadian degrees when the graduates return to Iran," said Senator Jaffer. The Canadian government "has identified religious freedom as a key element of its foreign policy," she said. "The ongoing persecution of the Baha'i of Iran underlies its necessity, and I respectfully suggest that our government urgently assist the Baha'is of Iran." (14 June 2011)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/Sen/Chamber/411/Debates/006db_2011-06-14-e.htm#15
More than 80 prominent citizens – representing the judiciary, academics, religious leadership, NGOs, human rights groups and the corporate sector – have signed a petition to the Iranian Government calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education prisoners. "The recent atrocities heaped upon this persecuted community...deserves the strongest condemnation from every upholder of human dignity and honour in India and the world," says the petition. "The consequences of this policy of disallowing the Baha'i youth to have access to higher education will be detrimental not only for the Baha'i community of Iran, but also for the nation as a whole." (15 June 2011)
Professors from Oxford, Cambridge and other leading universities in England have written an open letter calling for academics, students and politicians to support the right of Baha’is to access higher education in Iran. “The authorities must be taught that human rights are universal,” they wrote to The Guardian newspaper. “Barring Bahá'ís from university exposes the government's own ignorance.” (11 June 2011)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/11/iran-bahai-right-higher-education
In a statement, Austria’s Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said, “The news of an intensification of the Iranian government’s repression of the Baha’i community is alarming. The right to education is a fundamental human right for everyone, independent of his or her religion. The restriction of access to education for young Baha’is is unacceptable.” (1 June 2011)
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the coordinated raids by Iranian authorities on numerous Baha’i homes and the arrests of more than a dozen Baha’is who have been part of an effort to provide higher education to Baha'i youth because they are prevented from attending universities in Iran. (24 May 2011)
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran calls for the Iranian authorities to stop attacks on the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education and end policies that discriminatorily deprive members of the Baha’i Faith access to higher education. (23 May 2011)
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2011/05/bahai-university-attacked/
In a letter to The Guardian newspaper, seven prominent UK parliamentarians “call on Iran to respect the rights of all its citizens, and to release the seven Baha'is.” They write, “In a time of great change across the Middle East and north Africa, the plight of the Baha'is cannot be forgotten.” (21 May 2011)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/21/mps-iran-release-bahai-leaders
The 2011 Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom describes 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 CPCs. “The Baha’i community has long been subject to particularly severe religious freedom violations in Iran. Baha’is, who number at least 300,000, are viewed as heretic by Iranian authorities and may face repression on the grounds of apostasy,” says the report. (28 April 2011)
In a message marking the festival of Ridvan (21 April – 2 May), the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron wrote, “I remain deeply concerned about the ongoing plight of the seven Baha’i leaders and the continued attacks on the Baha’i Faith in Iran…I hope that the recent appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur and the imposition by the EU of sanctions against human rights violators in Iran will provide encouragement… to the many Baha’is in Iran who bravely continue to speak up for their rights. We hope that these developments convey to Iran the strength of international concern over its human rights record and demonstrate that continued rights violations will not go unnoticed.” (29 April 2011)
In a statement, Markus Löning – the Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office in Germany – described the increase in prison sentences for the seven former Baha’i leaders as “scandalous.” “The fact that this decision is made in secret shows once more that Iran is not prepared to be transparent and respect fundamental constitutional principles,” said Mr. Löning. (5 April 2011)
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2011/110405-MRHHB-Iran.html
Brazilian Federal Deputy Luiz Couto – former President of the Human Rights and Minorities Commission – explained to a Plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies how international pressure indicated to the Iranian government that the world is watching the abuses committed against the Baha’is. “The accusations that keep the Baha’i leaders imprisoned are completely false,” he said, “invented with the intention to justify the unacceptable, purely religious persecution…The National Congress, Brazilian society and other countries must express their support to the Baha’i community. In Brazil, there are more than 65,000 Baha’is, beyond the hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries of their activities, directed toward the improvement of living conditions for the people of the localities where they live.” (4 April 2011)
http://bahaisnoira-congresso.blogspot.com/2011/04/deputado-federal-luiz-couto-4-de-abril.html
Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s National Director Stuart Windsor said, “The reinstatement of such a severe sentence on the Baha’is is a further blow to the group, who have already faced gross injustices, including 30 months of detention without trial, harsh treatment and no access to medical care. Despite Iran being a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, by which countries pledge to uphold international standards of religious freedom for all citizens, it is clear that both the Baha’is and certain Christian communities are being targeted solely on the grounds of their faith. The international community must press Iran to release all detainees who are held solely on account of their religion.” (4 April 2011)
“In August last year, I made clear that we believe the leaders are fully entitled to practise their faith," said UK Foreign Secretary William Hague. "I stand by what I said then, and once again call on the Iranian judiciary to review the case and to cease persecution of the Baha’i faith. I am also concerned by the reports that the seven are facing physical threats from other inmates and guards in the prison they have been moved to. This is yet another example of the Iranian authorities disregard of the legitimate rights of the Iranian people. While restating that I do not believe there are adequate grounds to detain the leaders, I urge the Iranian authorities to ensure their safety while in custody, and provide them with full legal rights under Iranian law.” (4 April 2011)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?id=579047482&view=News
In a statement, the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, expressed his "grave concern regarding the seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders in Iran...I appeal to the Iranian authorities to stop the unjustified detention of these religious leaders and provide more clarity and legal explanations in a transparent manner regarding their case. The freedom of religion or belief is one of the most fundamental human rights." (4 April 2011)
In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of France said it is very concerned over the decision to restore the 20-year prison sentences of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders, in spite of an appeal court ruling that reduced it by half. “France firmly condemns violence and discrimination against, and the harassment of, Baha’is in Iran which prohibit them from exerting their freedom of religion or belief…” said the statement. (1 April 2011)
In a statement, Baroness Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, said: "I am disturbed by recent information that the original 20-year prison sentences against seven former Baha’i leaders may have been reinstated. This comes just six months after Iran's appeal court decided to reduce their sentences to 10 years… I therefore call on the Iranian authorities to immediately release the seven Baha’i leaders, whose sentencing appears to be motivated by their belonging to a minority faith, and to put an end to the persecution of religious minorities in Iran." (1 April 2011)
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/121248.pdf
The reimposition of 20-year jail terms on seven leaders of Iran's Baha'i religious minority is “outrageous”, Amnesty International said as it made a renewed call for their immediate release. "Yet again, the Iranian authorities are manipulating their own justice system to persecute members of a religious minority,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa. “Instead of doubling their sentences, the authorities should be setting the Baha’i leaders free, right now, and guaranteeing their freedom to practice their religion free from threat or persecution. Such arbitrary and vindictive acts are a salutary reminder of why the UN Human Rights Council voted recently to create a Special Rapporteur on Iran. The Council’s decision came not a moment too soon.” (31 March 2011)
“The United States remains concerned with the Iranian Government’s continued persecution of Baha’is and other religious minority communities in Iran,” said Mark C. Toner, Acting Deputy Spokesman for the U.S. Department of State. “We’re deeply troubled about reports coming out of Iran that a 20-year sentence of the seven Baha’i leaders was reinstated on appeal by the prosecutor general, a man the United States recently imposed economic sanctions and a travel ban on for committing serious human rights violations. We condemn this unprecedented step as a violation of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” (31 March 2011)
President Barack Obama addresses the Iranian people annually on the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz. "Young and old; men and women; rich and poor – the Iranian people have been persecuted," he said on 20 March 2011. "Hundreds of prisoners of conscience are in jail. The innocent have gone missing. Journalists have been silenced. Women tortured. Children sentenced to death. The world has watched these unjust actions with alarm. We have seen...the Bahai community and Sufi Muslims punished for their faith..." (20 March 2011)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/03/20/president-obama-s-nowruz-message
Members of all political parties in the Dutch parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs address a letter to the Iranian Parliament, expressing “deep concern about reports on violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief” in Iran and calling for the immediate release of the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders. Also the letter urged a change in policy regarding the Baha’i Community, call for the release of a Church leader who has been sentenced to death, and another Iranian citizen who has been accused of apostasy. (17 March 2011)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/iu_iran-brief-parliament.pdf
More than 90 prominent citizens from throughout India have renewed their call for the release of Iran’s seven jailed Baha’i leaders in an open letter. “As citizens of India, a country that has rightfully prided itself in exemplifying for the world the spirit of coexistence and tolerance, we express our deep concern for the imprisoned Baha’is and their families” they said. “We call upon all those who are committed to peace and justice in India to join us in petitioning the Iranian Government to immediately and unconditionally release these and other Baha’is who have been unjustly imprisoned in Iran.” Signatories to the open letter included former Supreme Court Judge, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, and Archbishop Vincent Concesso of Delhi’s Sacred Heart Cathedral. The open letter has been sent by Dr. Mohini Giri, former chairperson of the National Commission for Women, to India’s Iranian Ambassador. (14 March 2011)
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the European Union’s approach to Iran, deploring “the fact that, contrary to the Constitution, members of religious minorities endure discrimination in housing, education and official jobs, which is leading young members of these minorities to opt for emigration; condemns in particular the systematic persecution of the Baha'i community, the wave of arrests of Christians in 2009, and the harassment of religious dissidents, converts and Sufi and Sunni Muslims; reiterates its call for the release of the seven Baha'i leaders and calls on the Iranian Parliament to change Iranian legislation so as to ensure that all adherents of different beliefs in Iran, whether or not recognised by the Constitution, can follow their convictions free from persecution and be guaranteed equal rights under the law and in practice.” (10 March 2011)
In a statement, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed the United States’ deep concern at “the persecution of Iranian citizens at the hand of their government…” “Iran’s leaders also continue to persecute ethnic and religious minorities,” said Secretary Clinton. “We are troubled by reports that, of the dozens of prisoners executed in 2011, most are ethnic minorities. At the same time, Baha’is and other religious minorities continue to be subjected to arbitrary arrests and prosecutions, harsh sentences, and unsafe prison conditions. We call on Iran to free all political prisoners and persecuted minorities…The world will continue to watch and will hold accountable those responsible for these actions. The United States joins the international community in affirming the universal rights to which all men and women - in Iran and around the world - are entitled.” (23 February 2011)
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Iranian League for Human Rights (LDDHI) and the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) are calling upon the international community to act with urgency for the release of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders. The organizations state their belief that the “well-being and lives of the detained Baha’i leaders are at risk and their ongoing arbitrary detention places them in a clear and present danger that requires urgent reaction…Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate reminds the international community that “none of the prisoners were granted a fair trial and their continuing arbitrary detention is of grave concern, I call once again for their immediate release and a cessation of all harassment against the Baha’i community.” (18 February 2011)
The scale of repression against minority groups in Iran is a central but under-reported factor in the renewed struggle for democracy, says Minority Rights Group International (MRG) in a new briefing. With a rise in reports of political repression since the disputed elections of June 2009, minorities face widespread violations and severe restrictions on cultural and religious freedoms…Iran's constitution declares the state as Shi’a Muslim and some of those religious minorities who do not share this professed religious identity have suffered widespread abuse, says the briefing…The persecution of any Iranian minority is most pronounced in the case of the Baha’is. This religious minority group does not enjoy the constitutional guarantees that are formally afforded by the state to Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, nor any legal protection under Iran’s Islamic laws. Officially, they are considered heretics who constitute a political opposition and not a religious community. The informal leadership of the Iranian Baha’i community, who have been detained since 2008, were sentenced in 2010 to ten years of imprisonment on charges of conspiring against the Islamic Republic, and their lawyers –drawn from Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi’s The Defenders of Human Rights Center – have also been subject to intimidation, imprisonment, and attacks. (16 February 2011)
Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt reiterated the United Kingdom government’s concerns about the ongoing detention of the seven Baha'i leaders in Iran. “In 2010, I discussed human rights issues with the Iranian embassy on five occasions, including the unacceptable persecution of the Baha'is,” he responded to a question put by Madeleine Moon, MP for Bridgend. “Our embassy in Tehran also continues to raise this directly with the Iranian authorities, most recently on 12 December 2010. We will continue to remind Iran of the international commitments it has freely signed up to. We will also urge the Iranian Government to cease its harassment of the Baha'i minority and to respect the rights of other minority groups.” (3 February 2011)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110203/text/110203w0001.htm
In its World Report 2011: Iran, Human Rights Watch observes: The government denies adherents of the Baha'i Faith - Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority - freedom of religion. In August the judiciary convicted seven leaders of the national Baha'i organization to 20 years each in prison; their sentences were later reduced to 10 years each. The government accused them of espionage without providing evidence and denied their lawyers' requests to conduct a prompt and fair trial. (31 January 2011)
In response to a question asked by Brian O'Shea, member of Parliament for Waterford, about the imprisonment of the seven Iranian Baha’i leaders, the Republic of Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Micheal Martin, stated that the Irish government is “extremely concerned about this sentencing and other signs of the continued and indeed worsening oppression of the Baha’i minority, including reports of the detention of other Baha’i community members, the denial of education and the violation of property rights. It would appear that the Iranian authorities are persecuting a minority for their religious beliefs and that they are actively trying to suppress that faith.” Mr Martin concluded, “Ireland will continue to call strongly for the immediate release of the seven Baha’i leaders and the end to the persecution of members of this faith in Iran, including through bilateral contacts, with our EU partners and at the UN.” (16 December 2010)
Former Indian Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani has called upon Iran to uphold justice and treat its minorities with respect. “I appeal to Iran and join the UN and the rest of the international community to treat the Baha'is with respect,” he said, “and provide justice to the imprisoned seven leaders of the Baha'i community.” The former UN special Rapporteur on Housing Rights, Miloon Kothari, has also raised the issue of Iran’s violation of minority rights. “There is a contradiction of the unjust treatment of Baha'is and the minorities in Iran with the state not according them the same rights and means of redress that it is championing around the world,” said Mr. Kothari. Dr. Amitabh Kundu, Professor of Economics at the Centre for the Study of Regional Development and former Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, endorsing the Open letter of the Baha'i International Community to the Head of the Judiciary in Iran, emphasizes that “this mistreatment [of the Baha'is] also epitomizes the injustices being wrought against scores upon scores of their fellow citizens who are condemned to suffer merely because they yearn to be liberated from the prejudice and religious fanaticism that have so undermined the advancement and ravaged the well-being of their society.” (17 December 2010)
Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honorable Lawrence Cannon, has reiterated Canada’s deep concern of the “ongoing failure of the Iranian authorities to meet their domestic and international legal obligations. The Government of Canada stands firmly with the people of Iran against human rights abuses and discrimination, as well as ill treatment of women and minorities.” “We once again urge the Government of Iran to reverse the deterioration of its human rights situation and to meet its legal obligations, which include ensuring due process for all those who remain in detention,” said Mr. Cannon. (17 December 2010)
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2010/401.aspx
Christian Solidarity Worldwide is calling for the release of Iran’s seven jailed Baha’i leaders, and for Iran to address the grave human rights abuses suffered by its religious minorities. Andrew Johnston, CSW’s Advocacy Director, said, “Clearly the seven Bahai leaders are being held solely on account of their faith, and this contravenes Iran’s international legal obligations.” A press release issued by CSW reports on the open letter written by the Baha’i International Community to Iran’s Head of Judiciary, and states that the organization is continuing to monitor the potential publication of a penal code bill that would include the provision of capital punishment for apostasy.(13 December 2010)
http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=1069&search=
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran is urging the Iranian government to immediately end its policy of depriving university students of higher education based on their political or religious beliefs. A new report, titled “Punishing Stars: Systematic Discrimination and Exclusion in Iranian Higher Education,” has been released on the occasion of National Student Day in Iran, 7 December. During the past six years, Iranian authorities have systematically targeted university campuses to suppress social and political activism as well as to exclude Baha’i students due to their religious beliefs, the report says. (4 December 2010)
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/12/student-report-released/
A committee of the UN General Assembly 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 57 abstentions. In its specifics, the resolution takes note of recent reports of Iran's continued use of torture, an intensified crackdown on human rights defenders, "pervasive gender inequality and violence against women," and discrimination against minorities, including members of the Baha'i Faith. The resolution devoted an entire paragraph to Iran's treatment of Baha’is, cataloging an extensive list of recent incidents and attacks. In particular, it noted "increasing evidence of efforts by the State to identify, monitor and arbitrarily detain Baha'is, preventing members of the Baha'i faith from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically, the confiscation and destruction of their property,” and “the vandalizing of their cemeteries.” It also expressed concern over the recent trial and sentencing of seven Baha'i leaders, saying they were "repeatedly denied the due process of law." (18 November 2010)
In its International Religious Freedom Report 2010, the U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor reports that during the reporting period, the Iranian government’s respect for religious freedom in the country continued to deteriorate. The government created a “threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shi'a religious groups, most notably for Baha'is.” Baha'is, the report says, reported arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention, expulsions from universities, and confiscation of property. Since January 1, 2010, at least 50 Bahai's have been arbitrarily arrested. The report states that , on numerous occasions, “the U.S. Department of State spokesman has addressed the situation of the Baha'i and Jewish communities in the country. The U.S. government has publicly condemned the treatment of the Baha'is in UN resolutions. The U.S. government encourages other governments to make similar statements.” (17 November 2010)
Australian Members of Parliament have condemned the prison sentences recently received by seven Baha’i leaders in Iran. Speaking in support of a bipartisan motion on human rights in Iran, the MPs called on the Iranian Government to halt the persecution of the Baha’i community and to end other human rights abuses. The Parliament specifically referred to discrimination against and failure to protect the rights of minorities - including the Baha’i, Sufi, Baluch, and Kurdish communities - as well as the trial and reported sentencing of the seven Baha'i leaders for insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic. (15 November 2010)
Following on from their May 2009 document, “Preliminary Assessment: The Threat of Genocide to the Baha’is of Iran”, Sentinel’s supplementary report states that Baha’is in Iran today are at least as threatened and vulnerable as they were a year and a half ago, and the government has a stronger hand in suppressing minorities and dissent. The Sentinel Project’s mission is “to prevent the crime of genocide worldwide through effective early warning and cooperation with victimized peoples to carry out non-violent prevention initiatives.” (5 November 2010)
http://thesentinelproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Supplementary-Report-Bahais-of-Iran-2010.pdf
The City Councils of Bailén and Guarroman – in the Spanish province of Jaén – have unanimously approved separate institutional declarations stating concern over the deprivation of rights and systematic persecution faced by the members of the Baha’i community in Iran. They have called upon the Spanish Government and the institutions of the European Union to urge the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure that due legal process is applied to the imprisoned seven Bahai leaders jailed solely for their religious beliefs. (25 October 2010)
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) have made public a report on discrimination against ethnic communities and religious minorities in Iran. The report highlights the severe discrimination faced by ethnic communities and religious minorities in every domain/area. “Religious minorities…face discrimination in addition to being victims of persecution,” said Karim Lahidji, vice-President of FIDH and President of LDDHI, “such as through arbitrary detention, extrajudicial executions, destruction of cemeteries and holy places. These persecutions not only target the Baha’is, a religious minority not recognised by the Iranian Constitution, but also target Christians, Sunni Muslims and Sufis and others. FIDH and LDDHI present in their report concrete recommendations to the attention of the Iranian authorities that include a major reform of the Constitution and Iranian legislation both of which are deeply discriminatory. (21 October 2010)
http://www.fidh.org/Damning-report-on-an-ignored-issue-Discrimination
In response to a demand by a Hungarian Member of Parliament for the immediate release of the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders in Iran, State Secretary Janos Fonagy stated that the Hungarian government will continue to demand that Iran complies to the call of the European Union to uphold human rights, and that the safety and emancipation of the Baha’is must be ensured. (19 October 2010)
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, has once again expressed strong concern over Iran's ongoing human rights violations, including its persecution of Iranian Baha'is. In a report, Mr. Ban quite specifically highlighted Iran's ongoing "discrimination and harassment" of its Baha'i community. The report also took note of the trial and reported sentencing of seven Baha'i leaders, observing that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed "deep concern" over the absence of international observers and the lack of due process in that trial, which concluded in June 2010. (18 October 2010)
Three of the United Kingdom’s most prominent lawyers have expressed their serious concern about the lack of due process accorded to Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders during their trial. Dame Rosalyn Higgins QC, former President of the International Court of Justice, joined Linda Lee, President of the Law Society, and Mark Muller QC, Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee, in signing a letter published in The Guardian newspaper. “The charges and the sentences appear to be motivated solely by the fact that [the seven] are members of the Baha’i faith. We urge the authorities to respect Iran’s obligations under international law…” the lawyers wrote in the letter. (9 October 2010)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/09/questions-over-iran-bahai-trial
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth and the Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, have joined a call for seven Baha’i leaders jailed in Iran to be released. In a statement, the United Kingdom’s religious leaders say they view the imprisonment as a gross violation of the fundamental human right to freedom of religion. They urge governments to call on the Iranian authorities to review the decision to imprison the Baha’i leaders and to cease harassing the Baha’i community. (4 October 2010)
http://bahainews-uk.info/2010/10/04/uk-religious-leaders-call-for-release-of-bahai-leaders-in-iran/
“I note with regret reports that Iranian authorities have decided to continue the imprisonment of seven Baha’i community leaders, while reducing their sentences from 20 to 10 years,” said Lawrence Cannon, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. “Canada maintains that these individuals appear to have been imprisoned because of their religious beliefs and that therefore they should be released unconditionally and reunited with their families as soon as possible.” (17 September 2010)
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2010/302.aspx
The Committee of Human Rights Reporters has recorded that each member of the former “managing body” of the Baha’i community in Iran has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. “This is after these individuals have been imprisoned in temporary detention by continuous illegal orders for more than two years,” the Committee writes. “Their court hearing was delayed numerous times but in recent months, after a number of court sessions, their lawyers were notified of the 20 years’ imprisonment sentence.”(8 August 2010)
Deeply distressed by the sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, for the seven Iranian Baha'i leaders, on patently false and unjustifiable charges, 31 prominent Indians have issued an open letter appealing to the Iranian government to release the seven immediately and to ensure a fair and open appeal process in accordance to international standards of jurisprudence. Signatories include prominent leaders from religious communities as well as leaders in various fields of endeavour: judiciary, civil society organisations and academia. Justice Krishna Iyer, Mr. Fali Nariman, Mr. Soli Sorabjee, religious leaders - Archbishop Vincent Concesso, and Swami Agnivesh, as well as champions of human rights groups such as Miloon Kothari, Maja Daruwala, Suhas Chakma, and other civil society organizations, Rajesh Tandon, Ashok Khosla, George Verghese, Ajay Mehta, and the academia such as Prof. R. B. Singh, Prof. Amitabh Kundu, Prof. C. Raj Kumar, Prof. Tahir Mahmood, have jointly expressed, “ India and Iran have had historic ties of language, poetry, architecture, music and religion. In the name of these ancient ties that bind our two nations, we call on the Government of Iran to act according to the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which it has ratified. These provisions mandate the upholding of the principles of justice and freedom-principles cherished by all great religions of the world and all nations.” (31 August 2010)
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully has expressed deep concern at the 20-year prison sentences handed down by the Government of Iran to the leadership of the Baha'i faith. “New Zealand is dismayed that Iran has failed to uphold its international human rights commitments, and its own due legal processes in this case. I would hope to see the Government of Iran grant the Baha'i Yaran immediate bail, pending an appeal of the sentence," Mr McCully said. "The sentences appear to be based wholly on the fact that these people are members of a minority religious group. It is apparent that the trial was conducted in a manner that was neither fair nor transparent. "New Zealand calls on the Government of Iran to protect the fundamental rights of all its citizens, and to end its ongoing and systematic persecution of the Baha'i," Mr McCully said. (20 August 2010)
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/mccully+condemns+sentences+bah%c3%a1039%c3%ad+leadership
Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is deeply concerned by reports indicating that seven Iranian Baha'i leaders have each received jail sentences of 20 years…'Given that independent observers were not allowed to attend the trial, and the history of persecution that the Baha'i community has faced in Iran, the outcome will do nothing to encourage faith in the Iranian justice system,' says Carl Soderbergh, MRG's Director of Policy and Communications. 'MRG calls on Iran to quash the convictions and release the defendants immediately,' he added. (17 August 2010)
After a meeting today between Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt and the Iranian Ambassador Rasoul Movahedian, an FCO spokesperson said: "Following recent concerns over a number of human rights cases in Iran, Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt today met with the Iranian Ambassador Rasoul Movahedian. The Minister discussed a range of cases, including…the trial of the seven Baha'i leaders… These cases are indicative of a continued unwillingness by Iran to follow even its own judicial standards and due process. In each case, the Minister made clear UK concerns, and urged Iran to fulfil its international obligations, as well as its responsibilities to its own citizens under the Iranian constitution. Mr Burt said: "I hope Iran recognises that international scrutiny will not dissipate with time - the British Government is committed to raising these issues regularly and ensuring that those unfairly persecuted in Iran are not ignored."(Wednesday 18 August 2010)
In a statement, Baroness Catherine Ashton, the E.U.’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said, “The verdict appears to be based on the defendants belonging to a religious minority and the judicial process was seriously flawed, respecting neither Iran's international commitments under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) nor its national legislation regarding fair trial rights. The EU recalls that freedom of thought, conscience and religion are fundamental rights which must be guaranteed under all circumstances according to article 18 of the ICCPR which the Islamic Republic of Iran has signed up to and ratified. The EU calls on Iran to put an end to the persecution of the Baha'i community.” (12 August 2010)
http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_10020_en.htm
The United States is deeply concerned with the Iranian government’s continued persecution of Baha'is and other religious minority communities in Iran. This week, seven Baha’i leaders, who were incarcerated and held for nearly two years without due process, were each sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The United States strongly condemns this sentencing as a violation of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Freedom of religion is the birthright of people of all faiths and beliefs in all places. The United States is committed to defending religious freedom around the world, and we have not forgotten the Baha’i community in Iran. We will continue to speak out against injustice and call on the Iranian government to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens in accordance with its international obligations. (12 August 2010)
The Netherlands is very concerned about the fate of seven leaders of the Baha'i community in Iran…”That these people seem to be condemned because of their faith is shocking," said Maxime Verhagen, the Netherlands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs. “I urge the Iranian authorities to abide by their international human rights obligations. The Baha'i leaders have a right to a fair trial and they must be released as soon as possible." (12 August 2010)
“This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice and one more example of how the Iranian regime is a gross violator of human rights and religious freedoms,” said Leonard Leo, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) chair. “The prosecutions and sentences are, pure and simple, politically and religiously motivated acts, and the Commission calls for the unconditional release of these seven individuals.” (11 August 2010)
http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3159&Itemid=1
On hearing the news of the prison sentences given to Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders, Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “This is a shocking example of the Iranian state’s continued discrimination against the Baha’is. It is completely unacceptable. The Iranian judiciary has repeatedly failed to allay international and domestic concerns that these seven men and women are guilty of anything other than practising their faith. It is clear that from arrest to sentencing, the Iranian authorities did not follow even their own due process, let alone the international standards to which Iran is committed. The accused were denied proper access to lawyers, and there is evidence that the trial was neither fair nor transparent. I call on the Iranian authorities urgently to consider any appeal against this decision, and to cease the harassment of the Baha’i community. I further call on the Iranian Government to ensure that the rights of all individuals are fully protected, without discrimination, and that it fulfils its obligations to its own citizens as set out in the Iranian constitution." (11 August 2010)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=22683999&t=Latest+news
“The sentences against the representatives of the Baha'i faith are a shocking signal and an immense disappointment for all who have hoped for an improvement of the human rights situation in Iran.” said the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek. “We have strong doubts about the fairness and transparency of the judicial procedure and I deeply deplore this. Therefore I call on the relevant authorities to allow a fair and open appeal procedure. Iran has committed itself to international standards and I underline that this includes also the respect and protection of religious freedom." (11 April 2010)
Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders to 20 years in jail on a series of politically motivated charges: "This verdict is a sad and damning manifestation of the deeply-rooted discrimination against Baha'is by the Iranian authorities," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa deputy director. "These seven Baha'i leaders, some of whom are elderly, are prisoners of conscience jailed solely on account of their beliefs or peaceful activities on behalf of the persecuted Baha'i minority…” (10 August 2010)
Human Rights Watch – one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights – calls upon the Iranian judiciary to “set aside any judgments issued in closed judicial proceedings against seven Baha'i leaders and release them immediately given that no evidence appears to have ever been presented against them, and they have not been given a fair and public trial.” “For more than two years now the Iranian authorities have utterly failed to provide the slightest shred of evidence indicating any basis for detaining these seven Baha'i leaders, let alone sentencing them to 20 years in prison," said Joe Stork, deputy director of the Middle East division at Human Rights Watch. (10 August 2010)
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/08/10/iran-free-bahai-leaders
The commissioner for human rights and humanitarian aid in the Foreign Office of the Federal Government of Germany, Markus Löning, has declared that the “prison sentences against the Baha’i leaders are a massive setback for all those who engage themselves for the promotion of human dignity and human rights in Iran. There are major doubts as to the compliance with the basic legal rights during the judicial proceedings. I therefore strongly appeal to the relevant authorities to annul yesterday’s judgment and to provide a fair and transparent court procedure.” (10 August 2010)
The Australian government is “deeply concerned” about the treatment of seven Baha’is who have reportedly been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in Iran…A department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said the Government had expressed its concerns about the treatment of Baha’is to the Iranian Government on many occasions. “We continue to call on Iran to ensure that all trials are fair and transparent and are conducted in accordance with Iran’s international obligations,” he said. (10 August 2010)
“Canada is deeply disturbed by reports that these individuals have now been sentenced to 20-year prison terms on charges of espionage, acting against national security and being enemies of God, and that these sentences were passed without either written judgements or due process,” said Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Lawrence Cannon. “Canada once again urges Iran to grant bail to the seven Baha’i leaders and to ensure that they are accorded fair treatment, in accordance with international standards. Canada further urges Iran to protect the rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran is intolerable and deeply troubling.” (10 August 2010)
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2010/251.aspx
France’s Foreign Ministry has expressed the government's "consternation" at the 20 year sentence pronounced against Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders. This sentence "is part of a context of numerous cases of persecution and discrimination of which several religious minorities, in particular the Baha'i, are the subject," said the Ministry’s deputy spokeswoman Christine Fage. Iran must "get the persecution to which the Baha'i and religious minorities in Iran are subjected to stop and respect the freedom of religion and conscience as defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran has freely signed up", she added during a press briefing. (10 August 2010)
Seven leaders of the Iranian Baha'i community, each of whom has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on security, espionage and other crimes, should be freed by an appeals court, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said. "We consider the arrest, detention, trial, and sentencing of these individuals to be politically motivated, discriminatory, unjust, and illegal under Iranian and international law," said Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign. They have been sentenced for being Baha'is, nothing else, and their incarceration thus expresses a policy of oppression of the Baha'i Faith and its members," he said. (10 August 2010)
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/08/overturn-bahai-sentences/
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) call upon the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the seven Baha’i community leaders and to put an end to the governmental policy consisting of harassing its members. The Iranian Government should act in conformity with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as international human rights instruments ratified by the Islamic Republic of Iran. (9 August 2010)
http://www.fidh.org/Baha-i-leaders-sentenced-to-20-years-in-prison
UK Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt reiterates the government’s concerns about the ongoing detention of the seven Baha'i leaders in Iran. “I again urge the Iranian Government to cease its harassment of the Baha'i minority, and to respect the rights of the many members of minority groups who continue to face arrest and lengthy prison sentences, often on vaguely worded charges of acting against national security.”(15 July 2010)
At the opening of the Strasbourg plenary session of the European Parliament on 5 July, President Jerzy Buzek condemned recent attacks on the Baha'i community in Iran and the ongoing use of the death penalty there, including for minors. (5 July 2010)
Senator Romeo Dallaire, formerly Force Commander of UNAMIR, the UN peacekeeping force for Rwanda 1993-1994, speaks to the Canadian Senate of “state-sanctioned persecution” extending to the Baha’i community in Iran. The Iranian government has sanctioned arbitrary arrests and detention, mass expulsion from educational institutions, and denial of employment in the public sector, along with the incitement of hatred and the constant threat of violence.” ‘Having banned the elected bodies and the ad hoc groups responsible for seeing to the needs of the Baha’i community, the Government of Iran is now attempting to prevent Baha’is from having any form of community life, a flagrant denial of the religious freedoms outlined in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” (16 June 2010)
In a statement issued to mark the first anniversary of Iran's 2009 presidential election, the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper urged the Iranian regime to respect the rights of its Baha'i community and "cease persecuting it, discriminating against it and detaining its members." The statement called on the Iranian regime to ensure that due process is respected in the trial of the seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders. (12 June 2010)
http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=3&pageId=49&id=3437
A declaration made on behalf of the European Union calls upon Iran to respect fair trial rights as enshrined in article 14 of the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights). “We are disturbed by serious reports of ill-treatment and torture of those detained and imprisoned as well as allegations of forced confessions,” said the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton. “The EU will be closely monitoring the ongoing trial of Baha'i leaders in this regard.” (12 June 2010)
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/cfsp/115144.pdf
Alistair Burt, Under Secretary of State for the Foreign Office met with Baha’I representatives to share their concerns regarding the treatment of Baha’is in Iran and to show the UK's commitment to seeing an improvement in their situation. Referring to the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders in Iran, Mr Burt said, “I call on the Iranian Government to ensure, without delay, that the rights of these individuals are fully protected; that they are given due legal process, including being released on bail and given a fair and transparent trial, in accordance with international standards.” (11 June 2010)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=22359639
U.S. Representatives Frank Wolf and Mark Kirk submitted statements to the Congressional Record, calling for renewed support of seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders in the days preceding their next court session on Saturday, June 12 in Tehran. “The U.S. and the rest of the free world must continue to speak with one voice about the deplorable human rights situation in Iran,” Mr. Wolf said in his statement. “The world cannot turn a blind eye to this regime’s brutal repression of its own people.” “It is time that the United States and the international community hold Iran accountable for denying the fundamental freedoms to its people,” said Mr Kirk. (10 June 2010)
U.S. State Department Spokesman Philip J. Crowley issued a statement on the second anniversary of the imprisonment of seven Baha’i leaders. “The United States strongly condemns their continued incarceration as a violation of due process and calls on Iran to meet its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” it said in part.(14 May 2010)
“The (Iranian) government's poor human rights record degenerated during the year,” the document states. It recounts many specific incidents of persecution of minorities and includes numerous references to Baha’is and the Baha’i community. One passage reads: “The government continued to repress Baha'is and … prevent people from meeting in homes to worship. It banned them from government and military leadership posts, the social pension system, and public schools and universities unless they concealed their faith. The courts denied Baha'is the right to inherit property, and the government does not recognize Baha'i marriages or divorces. … According to the law, Baha'i blood is considered mobah, meaning Baha'is may be killed with impunity. The government repeatedly pressured Baha'is to recant their religious beliefs in exchange for relief from mistreatment.” (11 March 2010)
Mike Symon, member of Parliament from Deakin, in a speech to the House stated his concern about the Baha’i situation in Iran. “The persecution of the Baha’i in Iran has been a subject of ocomment in the House for at least three decards now, and unfortunately the situation does not appear to be improving. If anything, it is getting worse,” he said. Much of the talk focused on the imprisonment of seven Baha’i leaders. (10 March 2010)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/iu_mp_mike_symon.pdf
The Iranian government should immediately stop harassing and arbitrarily detaining members of the Baha'i community, Human Rights Watch said. "The Iranian government seems to be using the post-election unrest as a cover for targeting the Baha'i community," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "These arrests are only the latest chapter in the government's systematic persecution of the Baha'i." (23 February)
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/02/23/iran-end-persecution-baha
Amnesty International criticizes Iran for rejecting important recommendations by the United Nations to improve human rights in the country. The delegation accepted the recommendation to respect freedom of religion but rejected a recommendation to end discrimination against the Bahai’s. “By rejecting specific recommendations made by dozens of countries the Iranian authorities showed contempt for international obligations just as they have done in their treatment of their own people,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Amnesty International. (17 February 2010)
“The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) express their deepest concern regarding the ongoing repression against the Baha’i community in Iran,” says a statement, which states that six more Baha’is have been arrested, supposedly in conjunction with recent demonstrations. “Their whereabouts and their place of detention are not known to date. ”(11 February 2010)
The European Parliament, in plenary session, has adopted a detailed resolution on Iran in which it strongly condemned Iran’s human rights abuses. The resolution included mention of the Baha’is and other minority groups whose rights are denied, including Sunnis, Christians, Kurdish, Azeri, Baluch, and Arabs. (10 February 2010)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/iu_epIran0210Res.pdf
The charge d’affaires of Iran in Helsinki was summoned to the Finnish Foreign Ministry because of Finland’s concern over human rights violations in Iran, including treatment of Baha’is. (23 January 2010)
During a question-and-answer period in the House of Lords about treatment of Baha’is in Iran, Foreign Office Minister Glenys Kinnock said that the Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom had been summoned on 20 January to echo EU calls for the Baha’is to receive a just and open trial. (21 January 2010)
Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities to release seven members of the Baha'i religious minority who appear to be facing a "show trial" in Tehran on a collection of spurious charges. (13 January 2010)
The European Union said in a statement that it “expresses its serious concern about the start today of the trial against seven Baha'i leaders in Iran, as the charges against them appear to be motivated by their belonging to a minority faith.” (12 January 2010)
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/cfsp/112212.pdf
On 11 January, the U.S. Department of State published a statement strongly condemning the Iranian government’s decision to proceed with the espionage trial of the seven Baha’i leaders. “These persons are entitled to due process,” the statement said. “The right to a fair and public hearing is embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” (11 January 2010)
Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon of Canada issued a strong statement expressing concern over Iran’s continue detention of seven leaders of the Baha’i community there. “It is deplorable that these individuals were detained on the sole basis of their faith and have been denied a fair trial,” he said. (8 January 2010)
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2010/006.aspx?lang=eng
In referring to 13 Baha’is arrested since the Ashoura protests and seven Baha’is leaders jailed in 2008, Amnesty International states: “In December, the lawyers for seven Baha'i leaders detained without trial … were informed their clients will be tried on Tuesday. They face charges of espionage and could be sentenced to death. Amnesty International believes that all 20 are prisoners of conscience who should be released immediately and unconditionally.” (8 January 2010)
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/ashoura-protesters-risk-execution-iran-20100108
The international press has reported that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a nonpartisan official body that advises the U.S. government, has criticized Iran for “ramping up vilification” of Baha’is in light of recent unrest. (January 2010)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gF1EuNN8sLiITTlSMK2AEeuwxWJQ
The United Nations General Assembly gave its final stamp of approval to a strongly worded resolution citing Iran for a long list of human rights violations. By a vote of 74 to 49, with 59 abstentions, the General Assembly confirmed an earlier vote by its Third Committee. (18 December 2009)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/iu_UN_Resolution_Nov_2009.pdf
The New Zealand Parliament approved a motion to express concern to Iranian authorities about the persecution of Baha’is and to support a resolution on the subject in the United Nations. The move came following nearly a half hour of comments by four Parliament members from three different parties in support of the action. (9 December 2009)
By a vote of 74 to 48, the UN Third Committee – a committee of the whole of the General Assembly – approved a strongly worded resolution expressing deep concern over serious ongoing human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The resolution specifically mentions discrimination against Baha’is as well as concern over the treatment of “Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Christians, Jews, Sufis and Sunni Muslims, and their defenders.”(20 November 2009)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/iu_UN_Resolution_Nov_2009.pdf
On 1 December 2009, the U.S. Senate passed by unanimous consent a resolution mirroring the one approved by the House of Representatives five weeks earlier, condemning the government of Iran for state-sponsored persecution of the Baha’i community. (1 December 2009)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:sr71:
http://iran.bahai.us/s-res-71-on-the-bahais-in-iran/
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 Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.” It is the 11th congressional resolution since 1982 to address the religious oppression of the Baha’is in Iran. A similar measure is pending in the U.S. Senate. (22 October 2009)
http://iran.bahai.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/hr175_sus_xml.pdf
Ban Ki-moon released a report on 14 October expressing strong criticism of Iran’s human rights record. He cited concern about the use of excessive force after the June presidential election, the harassment of women’s rights activists, the ongoing execution of juveniles, and the continued persecution of minorities, including Baha’is. (14 October 2009)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/732_secretary_generals_report.pdf
In the Hungarian Parliament, following a report on the persecution of Baha’is, Senior State Secretary Vilmos Szabo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Hungary “unequivocally condemns … the severe violations of human rights in Iran” and supports the “immediate release of the incarcerated Baha’i leaders.” If the Baha’is go to trial, he said, international observers must be allowed in. (12 October 2009)
http://www.parlament.hu/internet/plsql/ogy_naplo.naplo_fadat_aktus?p_ckl=38&p_uln=231&p_felsz=225&p_felszig=227&p_aktus=56
http://vimeo.com/7104232
The state legislature of Amazonas in northern Brazil approved on 15 July 2009 a note of censure regarding violations of the human rights of members of the Baha’i Faith in Iran. A day earlier, in the national Senate in Brasilia, two senators spoke to the issue of Baha’is in Iran being denied their right to freedom of belief and made an appeal for a fair trial for seven Baha’i defendants. (15 July 2009)
http://www.aleam.gov.br/noticia_materia.asp?id=4719
http://www.senado.gov.br/sf/atividade/pronunciamento/detTexto.asp?t=380240
Prime Minister Gordon Brown received a delegation of Baha’is accompanied by Member of Parliament Lembik Opik and expressed his concern about the seven Baha’i leaders still being held in prison in Iran. This followed a debate several days early in the Houses of Parliament in which Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis called for “transparency” and “international best practice” in any trial of Baha’is in that country. (15 July 2009)
A document released after it was learned that the trial of seven prominent Baha’is in Tehran had been postponed states: “Amnesty International is continuing to call on the Iranian authorities to release the seven immediately and unconditionally, as it considers them to be prisoners of conscience, held solely on account of their beliefs or peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha'i community.” (14 July 2009)
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a press release, demanding “the release of seven Iranian Baha’i prisoners of conscience who are set to go on trial … and could face the death penalty, noting that this particular action is just one manifestation of the much broader pattern and practice of the theocratically supported repression that marks Iran’s current electoral crisis.” (9 July 2009)
http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2587&Itemid=1
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere called in the charges d’affaires of the Iranian Embassy to express concern about the human rights situation in Iran, referring particularly to politcally motived arrests and the detention of local staff of the British Embassy. The situation of the Baha’is was cited by Norway, and Mr Stoere said, ““I call on the Iranian authorities to respect the freedom of religion and belief of all minorities in Iran.” (7 July 2009)
Amnesty International released its “State of the World’s Human Rights 2009” report. The section for Iran states that “authorities continued to harass and persecute Baha’is and members of other religious minorities” and noted that seven Baha’i leaders were arrested and accused of “vaguely worded national security offenses.” Denial of education to Baha’is and destruction of Baha’i holy sites also were mentioned. (27 May 2009)
http://thereport.amnesty.org/en/regions/middle-east-north-africa/iran
Six members of the Australian Parliament from both major parties spoke in support of a statement approved by the House of Representatives calling upon Iran to release without delay the seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Tehran. (25 May 2009)
The Presidency of the European Union issued a statement expressing “deep concern about the increasing violation of religious freedom in Iran.” The statement said, in part: “The European Union urgently calls on the Iranian authorities to uphold their international legal undertakings to safeguard religious freedom and to stop their persecution of legitimate religious activities.” The statement specifically mentioned concern over Christians, Baha’is, and others. (25 May 2009)
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/cfsp/107982.pdf
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon issued a statement on the anniversary of the detention of the Baha’i leaders, saying in part: “Canada is deeply troubled by the continued imprisonment of these Baha’i leaders, without charge or legal representation. We believe they are being detained solely because of their faith. … The Government of Canada calls upon the Iranian authorities to immediately release the seven Baha’i leaders and to cease the harassment of members of the Baha’i faith.” (14 May 2009)
http://w01.international.gc.ca/MinPub/Publication.aspx?lang=eng&publication_id=387161&docnum=129
Seven Baha’i leaders detained in Evin prison … should be immediately and unconditionally released, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said on the anniversary of the arrest of six of them. “The illegal and unjust detention of these seven Baha’i leaders, which again shows a policy of oppressing a religious minority, must be brought to an end,” said a spokesman for the group. (14 May 2009)
In a statement issued from New York, Human Rights Watch said “Iran should immediately free seven detained Baha'i community leaders, or bring them promptly to trial so they can defend themselves in fair and open proceedings against the serious charges against them.” (14 May 2009)
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/05/14/iran-free-baha-i-leaders
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent a letter to UK Baha’is on the occasion of the Festival of Ridvan, and he included these words: “The principles of the Baha’i Faith are rightly shared and appreciated by many in our different communities. It is therefore all the more tragic that Baha’is around the world face prejudice and discrimination,” he wrote. “At the forefront of all of our minds this Ridvan is the fate of the seven Baha’i leaders awaiting trial in Iran. We have raised our concerns with the Iranian government and I urge the authorities to ensure that these individuals receive a fair trial and ask them to put an end to discrimination against the wider Baha’i community within Iran.” (22 April 2009)
A message written on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, expressed his solidarity with the Baha’i leadership imprisoned in Iran. The message said that the archbishop “has made clear to the Iranian authorities his profound disapproval of the way in which the leadership has been treated since their arrest and detention in harsh conditions and without charge last year. The charges now brought go against all the experience of Baha’is as peaceful people and loyal citizens of their countries.” (22 April 2009)
The Canadian House of Commons unanimously adopted a strongly worded motion condemning the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and calling on the Iranian government to release Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Tehran. The motion stated that the accusations against the Baha'is – espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic republic – are charges “frequently used by Iranian authorities to target human rights defenders and religious minorities, and there is nothing in the history or teachings of the Baha'i community to lend any credence to such charges.” (30 March 2009)
Sixty-six scholars and academic specialists in the fields of Middle Eastern and Iranian studies, most of them from the United States and Canada, have signed a petition calling on the Islamic Republic of Iran to put an end to human rights abuses against Baha’is in Iran and give the Baha’is their “full civil rights and freedoms” as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other agreements “to which Iran is a signatory.”
The petition notes that abuses “have been greatly escalating in recent months” and cites arbitrary arrests, attacks on Baha’i homes, denial of access to education, campaigns of intimidation, economic strangulation of the Baha’i community, and desecration of Baha’i cemeteries.
Persian-language media have printed it, and the BBC has published an article on its Persian-language Web site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/03/090311_op_bahais_scholars.shtml. (9 March 2009)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/iu_PetitionFromAcademics.pdf
The Canadian Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Human Rights adopted a resolution asking the Iranian government to reconsider charges against the seven Baha’i leaders and release them immediately. Failing this, the panel asked that the government “proceed to trial without further delay, ensuring that the proceedings are open and fair and are conducted in the presence of international observers.” (24 February 2009)
Thirty-two prominent citizens of India -- among them individuals from the judiciary and official agencies, religious leaders, artists, and representatives of NGOs, academia and the corporate sector -- have signed a document titled “A Call to the Government of Iran: Release Innocent Baha’i Detainees Facing Trial Immediately.”
The message asks the government of Iran “to dismiss the arbitrary 'politically motivated' charges against the seven innocent Baha’i leaders and release them immediately and unconditionally."
If a trial does take place, the signatories ask authorities to abide by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and assure that the trial follows accepted standards. (February 2009)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/iu_indiaOpenLetter.pdf
The U.S. Department of State has published its 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, and the section on Iran mentions the Baha’is numerous times as victims of human rights abuses. The report cites arbitrary arrests and detentions, including that of the seven Baha’i leaders; illicit and unlawful confiscation of property; lack of constitutional protection for Baha’is; and other abuses.
One paragraph reads, “The government continued to repress Baha'is and prevent them from practicing their religion by closing their places of worship. It banned them from government and military leadership posts, the social pension system, and public schools and universities, unless they concealed their faith. The courts also denied Baha'is the right to inherit property and refused to recognize Baha'i marriages or divorces. According to the law, Baha'i blood is considered ‘mobah,’ meaning Baha'is may be killed with impunity. The government repeatedly pressured Baha'is to recant their religious beliefs in exchange for relief from mistreatment.” (25 February 2009)
A statement published on the Web site of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs says in part:
“The leaders of the Baha’i, a religious minority in Iran, are facing a possible death sentence if convicted of the charges. The Netherlands fears that the trial will not be fair, and it has asked Iran through the EU to allow an independent observer to monitor the judicial process.
“Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen is seriously concerned about the fate of the Baha’is: ‘The Netherlands will continue to work hard to eliminate human rights violations and the oppression of religious and ethnic minorities. We will do this bilaterally, by repeatedly calling the Iranian authorities to account for their human rights policy, and internationally, by bringing the plight of religious minorities to the attention of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.’” (20 February 2009)
The Iranian Minorities Human Rights Organisation issued a statement saying that the Iranian prosecutor has “written an open letter that has been published by papers in which he asks the security service to persecute Baha’i believers in Iran.”
“IMHRO finds this request from the prosecutor to be extremely alarming. We fear that it will result in greater widespread persecution of Baha’i’s. We are very concerned about these 7 Baha’i leaders, sources in Iran have told us that the government is planning a large scale crackdown and arrest of the Baha’i in Iran.”
The organization then appeals to the international community to take steps to put pressure on the Iranian government to “stop the inhuman treatment of Baha’i in Iran,” and gives suggestions for action. (22 February 2009)
http://iranianminorityshumanright.blogspot.com/2009/02/imhro-condemning-trial-of-7-bahai.html
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHR) published a statement on its Web site on 17 February titled “Endangerment of the Baha’i Community in Iran.”
The report, in Persian, quotes the ICHR spokesman, Hadi Ghaemi, referring to the seven jailed Baha’is: “These accusations are very serious. All evidence, from their arrest to the upcoming trial, points to the fact that the accusations are baseless and have political roots.”
Further, he said, “The trial of these individuals, if the court cannot openly prove these charges, and if appropriate defense is not provided, will not be credible. If that happens, the trial will be nothing more than the (the type of) harassment that happened during the Dark Ages.” (17 February 2009)
BERLIN, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Germany expressed concern on Wednesday over the detention and likely imminent trial of seven members of the Baha'i faith in Iran who are accused of spying for Israel and could be sentenced to death.
"An extension of the current situation or a continuation of the proceedings, in unexplained legal conditions which do not meet international standards, would hurt relations with the international community," said Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm in a statement.
Germany said there were signs that the detainees, who have been held since spring 2008, would soon be sentenced after a quick trial, and summoned Iran's Charge d'Affaires for talks with a senior German official.
"(The official) expressed the Chancellor's deep concern about the detention, the looming trial and the lack of legal advice," said Wilhelm.
The European Union has called for the release of the seven and Britain voiced its concern on Monday.
Iran's Shi'ite religious establishment views the Baha'i faith, which originated in Iran 150 years ago, as a heretical offshoot of Islam.
Germany, along with other Western nations, is in dispute with Iran over its nuclear programme. The powers suspect Iran wants to make a nuclear bomb but Tehran says it needs the technology for energy consumption. (18 February 2009)
http://www.blnz.com/news/2009/02/18/Germany_says_worried_about_trial_5624.html
In an open letter to the Constituted Authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Deputy Pompeo de Mattos, president of the Human Rights Commission of the Federal Chamber of Deputies, requested the release of the Baha’i prisoners.
“The peace-loving, humanistic principles and practices for which the Baha’is are known in Brazil have earned this community respect and credibility among the country’s human rights supporters,” he said. “There is therefore no reason to doubt the credibility of their claims.”
The letter ends requesting the protection for the life, security and freedom of the Baha´is in Iran. (17 February 2009)
http://apache.camara.gov.br/portal/arquivos/Camara/internet/comissoes/cdhm/perseguicao_bahai.pdf
A press release from the European Parliament states that President Pöttering, on behalf of the European Parliament, denounced the detention of seven leaders of the Baha'i Faith by the Iranian government, “which, according to alarming reports, ‘does not respect the requirements of the rule of law.’”
It notes that members of the Baha'i Faith have been detained for eight months, and that their attorney, Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, has received death threats. The release said that President Pöttering called on the Iranian authorities to respect human rights and release the prisoners without delay. (18 February 2009)
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the lack of due legal process for the seven Baha’is ''makes it hard to believe there is any basis to the charges or that they will receive a fair trial.”
The statement also noted concern that the charges are “part of a pattern of official discrimination against members of the Baha’i faith in Iran. Over the past eight months, we have regularly raised the Australian Government's concerns about the seven Baha'i detainees with the Iranian authorities now that they have been charged, we call on the Iranian government to ensure at the very least that the trial is fair and transparent.” (17 February 2009)
In a statement to the press, Mark Weitzman, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Task Force Against Hate, called the accusations against the Baha’is “patently absurd” and called the persecution “as delusional as the mentality that allows a state to embrace Holocaust denial as a matter of policy.” (19 February 2009)
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/WiesenthalCenterStatement.pdf
In a statement issued by the Presidency, the European Union said it was concerned that, “after being held for so long without due process, the Baha’i leaders may not receive a fair trial.
“The EU therefore requests the Islamic Republic of Iran to allow independent observation of the judicial proceedings and to reconsider the charges brought against these individuals.”
The document was endorsed by the entire 27-nation membership of the EU, along with Turkey, Croatia, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine, and Moldova. (17 February 2009)
Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell expressed concern at the imminent trial of the seven Baha’is and stated:
“The Iranian government appears to be increasingly using vaguely worded charges of this nature to target human rights defenders and religious minorities. It is hard not to conclude that these people are being held solely on account of their religious beliefs or their peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression and association.
“The seven Baha'is had to wait over eight months to be notified of the charges against them. They have not been given any access to their lawyer: and their lawyer has not been given access to their case files. This makes it very hard to believe that they will receive a fair trial.
“We have also received disturbing reports of systematic discrimination against and harassment of Baha'is on the grounds of their religion.” (16 February 2009)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=PressS&id=13644191
More than 240 Iranian intellectuals, scholars, writers, journalists, activists, and artists throughout the world who signed an open letter apologizing for their silence during Iran’s long-running persecution of the Baha’is.
The open letter – dated 3 February and the subject of a press statement on 14 February – was signed by hundreds of men and women living in 19 countries had asked Baha’is to forgive them “for the wrongs committed against the Baha’i community of Iran” over the last century and a half. “We will no longer be silent when injustice is visited upon you,” the letter said.
http://news.bahai.org/sites/news.bahai.org/files/documentlibrary/697_02_ApologyOpenLetter_en.pdf
In a statement issued by spokesman Robert Wood, the U.S. State Department said:
“Authorities have detained these Baha’i for more than nine months without access to legal counsel or making public any evidence against them. The accusations reported in Iranian and international media are part of the ongoing persecution of Baha’i in Iran.
“Thirty other Baha’i remain imprisoned in Iran solely on the basis of their religious belief. Other religious minorities continue to be targeted solely on the basis of their beliefs. Last month authorities arrested three Christians: Jamal Ghalishorani, Nadereh Jamali and Hamik Khachikian. In addition, authorities detained several members of the Gonabadi Dervishes, followers of Sufism, on Kish Island in January.
“We join the international community in urging the authorities to release all religious minorities who are currently in detention for peacefully exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms.” (13 February 2009)
A proposed resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives condemns the government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of the Baha’i minority and continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.
It calls on the Iranian government to release the Baha’is and others solely on the basis of their religion, and calls on the U.S. president and secretary of state to condemn Iran’s violations of human rights. (13 February 2009)
Bundestag member Dr. Peter Ramsauer, leader of the Christian Social Union party, expressed “deep concern” over the fate of the seven. “Our minimum expectation for a fair trial is unconstrained access for the defense attorney, the Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, to her clients and to have a public trial,” he said. (13 February 2009)
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/9535/1352460/csu_landesgruppe?search=iran
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a statement saying “it is disappointing that the Iranian government is demonstrating that it will use any pretext, however baseless, to harass and detain those whose religious beliefs differ from those enforced by the state.”
“Due process, something to which Iran is committed as a signatory of the U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is absent from this case,” commission Chair Felice D. Gaer said in the statement. (13 February 2009)
http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2347&Itemid=1
The following statements were made to the Canadian Parliament.
Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs: “Reports yesterday that seven leaders of the Baha'i community, who had been detained without access to legal counsel, have now been charged is very troubling. Addressing the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Baha'i in Iran, has been a consistent priority for Canada. … Canada will continue to raise our concerns about the Baha'i and human rights more generally directly with the Government of Iran.”
Irwin Cotler, member of Parliament and former justice minister: “The systematic and systemic abuse of the Baha'i minority in Iran unfortunately manifested itself again this week as seven members of the (Friends in Iran) group, already being held for almost a year in the notorious Evin Prison, were charged on Wednesday with spying for Israel, insulting Islam, and spreading propaganda against the state.. These trumped-up charges also carry the threat of capital punishment, with Iran already being among the world leaders in carrying out the death penalty. What action will the government take to protect this persecuted Baha'i minority and the persecuted prisoners in Iran?”
Lawrence Cannon, minister of foreign affairs: “The government of Canada has been extremely active in terms of human rights in Iran. … Canada led a multinational initiative at the United Nations where we condemned Iran for its human rights behaviour. I can assure members of the House … that we will continue exactly in that direction.” (13 February 2009)
Freedom House, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in the United States, strongly condemned the Iranian governement decision to put on trial the seven Baha’is.
“The five men and two women should be released immediately, along with dozens of other Baha'is who are in prison for exercising their human right to religious freedom,” the group said.
"It is deeply ironic that the Iranian regime is seeking greater international legitimacy, while it escalates a brutal campaign against anyone perceived to be a threat in the lead up to the presidential election in June," said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House executive director. "The case of the seven Baha'is is part of a larger crackdown on reform-minded political activists, human rights organizations and bloggers that Freedom House is monitoring closely." (12 February 2009)
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090213102310zzzz.nb/topstory.html
The following was published on the Amnesty International Web site:
“Seven named people, all members of the Baha’i religious minority, are to go on trial shortly, on charges of ‘espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the system.’ Amnesty International considers the charges to be politically motivated and those held to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely because of their conscientiously held beliefs or their peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha’i community. If convicted, they would face lengthy prison terms, or even the death penalty. (12 February 2009)