Iran Press Watch » Summary Reports

UN Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed has requested that Iranian officials cooperate and allow him to visit Iran

editor — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:22:33 +0000

[RAHANA 24 Oct. 2011] After presenting his first report for the UN regarding human rights issues in Iran, the Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed requested that he be allowed to visit the country.

In his talk at the United Nations, the Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed voiced his concern over human rights violations in Iran citing widespread use of secret and public executions, and pressures on religious and ethnic minorities while denying their civil rights.

Ahmed Shaheed pointed to the fact that before publishing his report he shared his findings with Iranian authorities but they refused to respond or collaborate with him. He asked that now the Islamic Republic cooperate with him and give him permission to travel to Iran in order to conduct further investigations.

He called on the Islamic Republic to consider releasing all individuals listed in his report as being political prisoners deprived of their human rights. Among the many he named are political leaders Mehdi Karoubi, and Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Among others mentioned are Ayatollah Boroujerdi, human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, student and women’s rights activist Bahareh Hedayat, Abdollah Momeni, and Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani. He added that many political prisoners are deprived of suitable medical attention.

Ahmed Shaheed discussed the abuse of ethnic and religious minorities, and mistreatment of human rights and women’s rights defenders. He expressed deep worry regarding the reported use of capital punishment for juveniles and scores of executions that were conducted for alleged crimes associated with illegal substances.

The Special Rapporteur also cited the intense pressure and arrest of journalists and human rights lawyers as an area of great concern.

Among those in attendance at the United Nations session that took place in the New York UN headquarters were representatives from the Unites States, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway and Maldives who thanked the Special Rapporteur and asked that the government of Iran cooperate and allow UN representatives entry into the country.

The representative from the Islamic Republic evaded responding to any of the findings, spoke of human rights violations of the US and western countries, and labeled Ahmed Shaheed’s report as being “politically motivated.”

Iran’s head of the judiciary, Sadegh Larijani rejected the UN report on Wednesday, calling it “cheap, inaccurate and without proof.” He also asked the prosecutor general and Iran’s Parliamentary Human Rights Committee to open a special case on US crimes against Iran.

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Source: http://www.rahana.org/en/?p=12125

Article in Persian: http://www.rahana.org/archives/45393

UN religious freedom expert: Iran is systematically persecuting Baha’is

editor — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:50:48 +0000

Heiner Bielefeldt – the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief – briefs correspondents on the issue at UN Headquarters on Thursday 20 October. The Iranian government has a "clearly articulated policy of extreme hostility" towards its 300,000-strong Baha'i minority, said Dr. Bielefeldt. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras

[BWNS 23 Oct. 2011] UNITED NATIONS — Iran’s persecution of Baha’is is among the most “extreme manifestations of religious intolerance and persecution” in the world today, according to a UN expert.

The remarks of Heiner Bielefeldt – Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief – came during a press conference here in response to a question about a new report [click here to see the report form IPW's repository] that documents the Iranian government’s media campaign to demonize Baha’is.

“The Iranian government has a policy of systematic persecution…” said Dr. Bielefeldt, “with the view of even destroying that religion worldwide…It’s a very clear, clearly articulated policy of extreme hostility.”

Asked whether he had received any response from Iran to his statements on the issue, Dr. Bielefeldt replied, “The typical response is the following: Bahaism is not a religion, it’s a cult, it’s an evil cult.”

The report, "Inciting Hatred – Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is," was launched on Friday 21 October at the New York offices of the Baha'i International Community (BIC). Pictured here are, left, Bani Dugal, the BIC's Principal Representative to the United Nations; and, right, Diane Ala'i, BIC Representative to the UN in Geneva. The report reflects the Iranian government's "irrational fear" and "great contempt" of its Baha'i community, said Ms. Ala'i.

“They distinguish…between genuine religions – in their understanding the divinely revealed religions Judaism, Christianity and, of course, Islam – and the rest,” he said. “So this is a problem.

“I mean they really excommunicate, systematically, the Baha’is from the application of freedom of religion or belief by simply denying their faith to have the status of a religion. And this is something states cannot do.”

Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right, he said at the press conference on Thursday.

“The starting point must be the self-understanding of human beings. Their deep convictions…That is what counts,” he said.

Inciting Hatred

One aspect of the Iranian government’s campaign against Baha’is is documented in the report, Inciting Hatred: Iran’s media campaign to demonize Baha’is, which provides evidence of a state-sponsored strategy to vilify the Baha’i community.

The report, launched on 21 October, highlights false accusations of Baha’is being involved in a variety of subversive practices including being anti-Islamic, morally corrupt, and agents for foreign powers.

Responding to the findings, Faraz Sanei – Iran researcher with the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch – told CNN that rights groups have long documented Iran’s actions against Baha’is, designed to “deprive them of their ability to freely manifest the beliefs and teachings of their faith.”

The report, said Dr. Sanei, provides “valuable insight into the mechanics of a less documented and more insidious element of this campaign – anti-Baha’i propaganda propagated by official and semi-official media outlets, and the degree to which hate speech further exposes an already vulnerable minority group to discrimination and attacks by private actors.”

At the report’s launch, Bani Dugal – Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations – noted that Baha’is in Iran “are particularly vulnerable to campaigns such as this because they don’t have any right to reply.”

Special Section – Inciting Hatred: Iran’s media campaign to demonize Bahá’ís

A Special Section of the Baha’i International Community United Nations Office website presents the full report, Inciting Hatred: Iran’s media campaign to demonize Bahá’ís in English and Persian, as well as an online only 197-page appendix that summarizes each of the 400-plus documents or articles that were collected during the period of this survey, from 17 December 2009 to 16 May 2011.

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Source: http://news.bahai.org/story/862

Report exposes Iran’s media campaign to demonize Baha’is

editor — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:47:08 +0000

The report – titled "Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is" – documents and analyzes more than 400 press and media items between late 2009 and early 2011, which clearly expose Iran's state-sponsored effort to vilify its largest non-Muslim religious minority.

[BWNS, 21 Oct. 2011] NEW YORK — In a wide-ranging media campaign that has gone largely unnoticed outside of Iran, hatred and discrimination are being systematically stirred up against the country’s 300,000-member Baha’i minority.

In a report released today, the Baha’i International Community documents and analyzes more than 400 press and media items over a 16-month period, that typify an insidious state-sponsored effort to demonize and vilify Baha’is, using false accusations, inflammatory terminology, and repugnant imagery.

Read the full report here (PDF) [click here for the PDF from Iran Press Watch repository]

“This anti-Baha’i propaganda is shocking in its volume and vehemence, its scope and sophistication,” said Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

“It’s all cynically calculated to stir up antagonism against a peaceful religious community whose members are striving to contribute to the well-being of their society,” she said.

Titled Inciting Hatred: Iran’s media campaign to demonize Baha’is, the report’s main conclusions are:

• anti-Baha’i propaganda originates with – and is sanctioned by – the country’s highest levels of leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who gave a highly discriminatory speech in the holy city of Qom a year ago;

• the campaign spurns international human rights law and norms, including a precedent-setting resolution passed earlier this year at the United Nations Human Rights Council that specifically condemns and combats the negative stereotyping and incitement to hatred of religious minorities;

• Baha’is are branded as “outsiders” in their own land and as enemies of Islam in a manner that is clearly calculated to provoke the religious sensibilities of Iranian Shiite Muslims;

• the campaign aims to deflect attention away from calls for democracy in Iran by using Baha’is as an all-purpose “scapegoat” – and, in so doing, to smear those who oppose the government as well as human rights campaigners as Baha’is, “as if that were the most heinous crime.”

• the authorities disseminate ludicrous conspiracy theories including that foreign broadcasters, in particular the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Voice of America (VOA), are controlled by or under the influence of Baha’is because they report stories about human rights violations in Iran;

“The diverse content of these attacks demonstrates tremendous effort and commitment of resources by the Islamic Republic,” says the report.

“Many attacks are built on gross distortions of Baha’i history; some attempt a strategy of guilt by association through lumping Baha’is together with completely unrelated groups – such as ‘Satanists’ or the Shah’s secret police; still others deploy a tactic of connecting Baha’is with ‘opponents’ of the regime, which allows the Government to discredit both the Baha’is and its opponents in a single transaction. The campaign makes extensive use of the World Wide Web, and often uses graphic images that portray Baha’is as fiendish ghouls or agents of Israel.”

Bani Dugal said the demonization of Iran’s Baha’i community is a matter that deserves the attention of governments, international legal institutions, and fair-minded people everywhere.

“The campaign not only clearly violates international human rights law,” she said, “it also utterly contradicts Iran’s long-standing claim at the UN and elsewhere that it is working to support measures to outlaw or condemn hate speech directed against religions or religious followers.”

“The parallels between the campaign of anti-Baha’i propaganda in Iran today and other state-sponsored, anti-religious campaigns of the past are undeniable. History shows us that such campaigns are among the foremost predictors of actual violence against religious minorities – or, in the worst case, precursors of genocide.

“It is time for Iran to be told that such egregious violations of international law and norms cannot be tolerated,” said Ms. Dugal.

Special Section – Inciting Hatred: Iran’s media campaign to demonize Bahá’ís

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Source: http://news.bahai.org/story/861

Closed Doors: Iran’s Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baha’is

editor — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:50:29 +0000

A Special Section at the Baha’i World News site brings all the relevant content regarding Iran’s systematic campaign to deny higher education to the Baha’is in Iran –its largest religious minority. I invite you to view these compelling evidences at http://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education.

Editor

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“Everyone has the right to education.”
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Since 1979, the government of Iran has systematically sought to deprive young members of the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority – the 300,000-strong Baha’i community – from higher education. Thousands of other students have also been barred from universities for being active in student unions, campus publications, or social and political issues including women’s rights, academic freedom, human rights and the rights of prisoners.

The 16 Baha'is detained after Iranian authorities raided homes associated with staff and faculty of the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education. One of them, Mr. Amir-Houshang Amirtabar – pictured bottom left – has now been released.

Authorities have also sought to close down Baha’i efforts to establish their own educational initiatives, including the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education. Such acts on the part of the Iranian government are, without doubt, part of a coordinated effort to eradicate the Baha’i community as a viable group within Iranian society.

This special section includes articles and background information concerning Iran’s campaign to deny higher education to Baha’is and in particular, its recent efforts to shut down the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education. Baha’I World News Service articles are listed below. A digest of recent developments is available under Current Summary.

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Source: http://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education/

13th Annual Report on International Religious Freedom from the U.S. Department of State

editor — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:27:56 +0000

The 13tAnnual Report on International Religious Freedomfrom the U.S. Department of State names Iran “Country of Particular Concern” for religious repression. The report is extensive and covers some 204 countries. See here for the section on Iran (PDF here). See here for the full report.

Below are the Secretary Hillary Clinton´s remark at the release of the report.

Editor

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(US State Dep. 13 Sep 2011) Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 13, 2011

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good morning, everyone. Here with me today are Michael Posner, our Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Suzan Johnson Cook, our Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, and members of their teams. They will brief you on our efforts to promote religious freedom and will take your questions afterwards. Before I begin on this important topic, I want to address the situation in Afghanistan, where there was an attack on our Embassy in Kabul today. It appears that a number of Afghan civilians have been hurt, and we, of course, will do all we can to assist them. There are no reports of casualties among Embassy personnel at this time.

We are following this very closely, also the unfolding situation in the area, including at NATO-ISAF Headquarters, which, for those of you have been in Kabul, you know is across the street from our Embassy compound. We will take all necessary steps not only to ensure the safety of our people, but to secure the area and to ensure that those who perpetrated this attack are dealt with.

But I want to say a word about our civilians who serve at our Embassy. It is, of course, State Department diplomats, USAID development experts, but it’s a whole-of-government effort, and there are civilians from across our government who are there with the sole purpose of assisting the people of Afghanistan in a transition toward stability, security, and prosperity.

The civilians who serve are dedicated, brave men and women, committed to advancing our mission. They will not be intimidated by this kind of cowardly attack. While they work hard every day along with their Afghan colleagues to help children go to school, to help save mothers’ lives at childbirth, to build roads, to assist farmers, the opposition of violent extremists, the Taliban and their allies, engage in a constant effort to threaten and to undermine the peace and progress of the Afghan people.

So we will be vigilant, but we will be continuing with even greater commitment to doing all we can to give the Afghan people, who have suffered so much, a chance at a better future for themselves and their children.

Now, as you know, the protection of religious freedom is a fundamental concern of the United States going back to the earliest days of our republic, and it remains so today.

As we look around the world, in fact, we see many countries where governments deny their people the most fundamental human rights: the right to believe according to their own conscience – including the freedom to not believe or not follow the religion favored by their government; the right to practice their religion freely, without risking discrimination, arrest, or violence; and the right to educate their children in their own religious traditions; and the freedom to express their beliefs.

In Iran, authorities continue to repress Sufi Muslims, evangelical Christians, Jews, Bahais, Sunnis, Ahmadis, and others who do not share the government’s religious views. In China, Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, “house church” Christians all suffer from government attempts to restrict their religious practice. In Eritrea last year, a 43-year-old evangelical Christian died in prison; he was reportedly tortured for 18 months and denied treatment for malaria because he refused to renounce his faith.

Of course, threats to the free exercise of conscience and religion do not always come directly from governments. Just yesterday, we heard reports that gunmen masquerading as security officers waylaid a bus of Shia pilgrims traveling throughout western Iraq. The women were abandoned by the side of the road, but the 22 men were shot, and their bodies left in the middle of the desert. This sort of hateful, senseless violence has no aim other than to undermine the fabric of peaceful society.

In the Middle East and North Africa, the transitions to democracy have inspired the world, but they have also exposed ethnic and religious minorities to new dangers. People have been killed by their own neighbors because of their ethnicity or their faith. In other places, we’ve seen governments stand by while sectarian violence, inflamed by religious animosities, tears communities apart.

Now, the people of the region have taken exciting first steps toward democracy—but if they hope to consolidate their gains, they cannot trade one form of repression for another.

Shining a spotlight on violations of religious freedom around the world, such as those I just mentioned, is one of our goals in releasing this report.

We also call attention to some of the steps being taken to improve religious freedom and promote religious tolerance. One of those is UN Human Rights Council Resolution 1618, which was introduced by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and adopted by consensus in March. It calls on all states to take concrete action against religious bigotry through tolerance, education, government outreach, service projects, and interfaith dialogue. And we worked very hard with a number of nations and with the OIC to pass this resolution, and we will be working with our OIC and European counterparts on implementing it. And Ambassador Johnson Cook is leading our efforts.

We have also seen Turkey take serious steps to improve the climate for religious tolerance. The Turkish Government issued a decree in August that invited non-Muslims to reclaim churches and synagogues that were confiscated 75 years ago. I applaud Prime Minister Erdogan’s very important commitment to doing so. Turkey also now allows women to wear headscarves at universities, which means female students no longer have to choose between their religion and their education.

Third, as we release this report, we reaffirm the role that religious freedom and tolerance play in building stable and harmonious societies. Hatred and intolerance are destabilizing. When governments crack down on religious expression, when politicians or public figures try to use religion as a wedge issue, or when societies fail to take steps to denounce religious bigotry and curb discrimination based on religious identity, they embolden extremists and fuel sectarian strife.

And the reverse is also true: When governments respect religious freedom, when they work with civil society to promote mutual respect, or when they prosecute acts of violence against members of religious minorities, they can help turn down the temperature. They can foster a public aversion to hateful speech without compromising the right to free expression. And in doing so, they create a climate of tolerance that helps make a country more stable, more secure, and more prosperous.

So the United States Government will continue our efforts to support religious freedom. We are engaging with faith groups to address the issues that affect them. Our embassies encourage inter-faith dialogue. And we will speak out against efforts to curtail religious freedom.

Because it is our core conviction that religious tolerance is one of the essential elements not only of a sustainable democracy but of a peaceful society that respects the rights and dignity of each individual. People who have a voice in how they are governed—no matter what their identity or ethnicity or religion—are more likely to have a stake in both their government’s and their society’s success. That is good for stability, for American national security, and for global security.

And with that, let me introduce both our assistant secretary and our ambassador-at-large to come forward. Thank you all very much.

QUESTION: Madam Secretary, could you just – do you have anything that – can you tell us anything about your understanding of what’s going on in Iran with the hikers and President Ahmadinejad saying that they might be able – that they will be free?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Matt, as you know, we have followed this very closely. And we are encouraged by what the Iranian Government has said today, but I am not going to comment further than that. We obviously hope that we will see a positive outcome from what appears to be a decision by the government.

QUESTION: Thank you.

# # #

PRN: 2011/1471

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Source: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/09/172254.htm

State Department Releases Annual Report on Religious Freedom

editor — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:42:39 +0000

[VOA 14 Sep 2011] The U.S. State Department on Tuesday issued its annual report on religious freedom.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that violations of religious freedom embolden extremists, and said that Iran is among the worst offenders.

An example of the abuses can be see in the case of Mahtab Farid, whose father was arrested after he tried to circumvent a ban on university education for the Baha’i minority.“This is the picture of my Dad. This is from two years ago when he was visiting the United States,” Mahtab Farid said. She explains her father Kamran was arrested in Iran on May 22, the day she graduated from college here in the United States.

The crime, according to his his daughter: administering a university for young Baha’is who are not allowed to study in Iranian universities.

Farid took part in a discussion in Washington on the plight of Baha’is in Iran.

She says she doubts her father will get a fair trial. “We’re all really, really, really worried and devastated. I mean all we can really do is pray, she said. “And really try to hold on to our faith.”

People of the Baha’i faith live freely in United States and elsewhere. But the State Department’s Report on Religious Freedom cites instances of imprisonment, harassment, intimidation and discrimination under Iran’s Shi’ite Muslim theocracy.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Baha’is are among a number of persecuted minorities there. “In Iran, authorities continue to repress Sufi Muslims, evangelical Christians, Jews, Bahais, Sunnis, Ahmadis, and others who do not share the government’s religious views,” Clinton stated.

But can the State Department’s report help Farid’s father?

Yes, says Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn of Freedom House, a democracy advocacy organization.
“These things carry a lot of weight in terms of having solidarity, creating solidarity, and for people who really don’t know what’s going on in other places they really look to the United States to give voice to these voiceless people,” she stated.

Farid says that whatever happens she knows her father is courageous.

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Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/State-Department-Releases-Annual-Report-on-Religious-Freedom-129789438.html

also see: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/09/172254.htm

More Than Fifty Baha’i Citizens Imprisoned in Iran

editor — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:52:33 +0000

[HRA 17 Aug. 2011] HRANA News Agency – While in various international gatherings and interviews conducted with foreign media, Iranian government officials continue to claim that no one is imprisoned in Iran because of their beliefs, according to official statistics, there are more than 50 Baha’i citizens either temporarily detained or serving prison terms in various cities throughout Iran.Additionally, there is at least the same number of Baha’i citizens waiting to be tried or sentenced in different cities all over the country.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), in various cities including Tehran, Karaj, Esfahan, Shiraz, Semnan, Mashhad, Urmia, Tabriz, Pars Abad, Ghaem Shahr, Babol, Sari, Kerman, Rafsanjan, Sanandaj, Yasuj and Kermanshah, there are a large number of Baha’i citizens who are in a legal state of limbo with their future uncertain.

All of these Baha’i citizens have been arrested, charged or convicted of propaganda against the regime by the virtue of their Baha’i faith or acting against the national security through attending religious Baha’i gatherings, membership in Baha’i organizations, managing Baha’i communities in cities or the whole country, or defending the rights of Baha’i citizens in Iran.

Baha’i citizens who are imprisoned in Iran’s official prisons or the detention centers operated by the Intelligence Agency include:

Evin Prison – Women’s Ward

1. Mahvash Sabet – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
2. Fariba Kamalabadi – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
3. Manijeh Nasrollahi – Sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison (Transferred from Semnan Prison)
4. Sahba Rezvani – Sentenced to 3 years and 1 months in prison (Transferred from Semnan Prison)
5. Susan Tabyaniyan – Sentenced to 1 ½ years in prison (Transferred from Semnan Prison)
6. Sholeh Taief – Sentenced to 1 year in prison (Transferred from Semnan Prison)

Evin Prison – Ward 350

7. Sama Norani – Sentenced to 1 year in prison
8. Payman Kashfi – Sentenced to 4 years in prisonArtin Ghazanfari – Sentenced to 1 year in prison

Evin Prison – Temporarily Detention / Interrogation

9. Kiumars Bahin-A’in – Transferred from Esfahan Prison
10. Shamim Bahin-A’in – Transferred from Esfahan Prison
11. Sina Ravankard – Transferred from Yasuj Prison
12. Parvaneh Behamin – Transferred from Yasuj Prison (A resident of Kata Village)
13. Behruz Behamin – Transferred from Shiraz Prison
14. Malieh Roozbehe (Roozkhosh) – Transferred from Shahravazlar in Fars Province
15. Behnoosh Dadgar – Transferred from Esfahan Prison
16. Kamran Mortezaie – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
17. Vahid Mahmoudi – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
18. Ramin Zibei – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
19. Noshin Khadem – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
20. Mahmoud Badavam – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
21. Farhad Sadaghi – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
22. Riyaz Sabhani – Probably imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University

Rajai Shahr Prison – Karaj

23. Jamal Aldin Khanjani – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
24. Afif Naimi – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
25. Behrooz Tavakoli – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
26. Saied Rezaie – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
27. Vahid Tizfahm – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)

Mashhad

28. Sima Eshraghi – Sentenced to 5 years in prison
29. Rezita Vaseghi – Sentenced to 5 years in prison (New case open)
30. Nahid Ghadiry – Sentenced to 5 years in prison (New case open)
31. Davar Nabilzadeh – Sentenced to 5 years in prison
32. Jalayer Vahdat – Sentenced to 5 years in prison
33. Kavyz Nozdehi – Sentenced to 2 years in prison
34. Sima Rajabiyan – Sentenced to 2 years in prison
35. Nasrin Ghadiri – Sentenced to 2 years in prison
36. Homman Bakhtavar – Sentenced to 2 years in prison
37. Dari Amri – Held in Mashhad Intelligence Agency Detention Center
38. Farhod Eshtiagh – Held in Mashhad Intelligence Agency Detention Center (Transferred from Esfahan Prison)

Semnan

39. Behfar Khanjani – Sentenced to 4 years in prison
40. Siamak Ayghani – Sentenced to 3 years in prison
41. Ali Ehsani – Sentenced to 2 years in prison

Khash

42. Mehran Bandi – Sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison (Transferred from Yazd Prison)

Sari

43. Tareh Taghizadeh – Sentenced to 22 months in prison
44. Samira Samiei – Sentenced to 6 months in prison

Amol

45. Houshang Fanaian – Sentenced to 4 years in prison

Shiraz

46. Raha Sabet – Sentenced to 4 years in prison

Esfahan

47. Vahid Misaghian – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
48. Shahnaz Talehi – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
49. Kayvan Dehghani – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
50. Navid Parvini – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
51. Negar Sobhanian – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
52. Farshid Badakhsh – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency

Yasuj

53. Ali Bakhesh Bazr Afkan – Sentenced to 2 years and six months in prison

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Source: http://www.en-hrana.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=484:more-than-fifty-bahai-citizens-imprisoned-in-iran&catid=13:religious-minorities&Itemid=13

Number of Baha’is imprisoned in Iran surpasses 100 mark

editor — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 23:36:40 +0000

Arrests on the rise

According to the latest reports, 103 Baha’is are currently behind bars because of their religious beliefs. This number has risen dramatically from the beginning of the year.

Another nearly 100 Baha’is have received prison sentences and await appeal or summons to begin serving their terms.

An additional 160 Baha’is are free on bail but could face imprisonment pending their trials.

UK’s Law Society and the Solicitors’ International Human Rights Group

The escalating arrests targeting Baha’is in Iran was addressed in a joint letter dated July 6 from two British legal associations to the UN Human Rights Council’s newly-appointed Special Rapporteur on Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Maldives. Read about the UNHRC’s historic vote.

Lionel Blackman, the chair of the Solicitors’ International Human Rights Group, said the newly appointed Special Rapporteur “needs to boldly look beyond the explicit mistruths stated by the Iranian authorities – such as those by Mohammad-Javad Larijani, Secretary-General of the High Council for Human Rights last month, that Iran does not arrest any Baha’i in Iran just for being a Baha’i.

“A well documented record of over three decades by a range of credible sources suggests the contrary. Indeed the very national representatives of this religious minority community have just entered the third year of imprisonment of a 20 year sentence which stemmed from a highly flawed legal process,” said Mr. Blackman.

he statement highlights the cases of “peaceful protesters who have called for the end of discrimination against women, and academics who have countered the cynical exclusion of their co-religionists from tertiary education by setting up a university to cater for excluded Baha’i youth.”

he statement, issued on 6 July, also expresses concern over “the detention and debarring of lawyers who have fulfilled their professional calling by defending the rights of opposition activists, journalists, ethnic and religious minorities and juvenile offenders, as well as other victims of grave human rights violations.”

The lack of due process, independence of the judiciary and equality before the law jeopardizes the universal human rights of all Iranians,” said Law Society president Linda Lee.

The Law Society represents thousands of solicitors in England and Wales. The Solicitors’ International Human Rights Group promotes awareness of international human rights within the legal profession, encourages human rights lawyers outside of the United Kingdom, and conducts related missions, research, campaigns and training.

USCIRF probes persecution of Iranian Baha’i community in 2011 religious freedom report

editor — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:39:36 +0000

On April 28, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2011 Annual Report.The report describes - beginning on page 78 – the “severe” persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran from April 2010 to March 2011.

Iran is one of 14 countries USCIRF recommends that the Secretary of State name “countries of particular concern” or CPCs.

USCIRF on the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran:

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 facerepression on the grounds of apostasy. Since 1979, Iranian government authorities have killed more than 200 Baha’i leaders in Iran, and more than 10,000 have been dismissed from government and universityjobs. Baha‘is may not establish places of worship, schools, or any independent religious associations in Iran. In addition, Baha‘is are barred from the military and denied government jobs and pensions as wellas the right to inherit property. Their marriages and divorces also are not recognized, and they havedifficulty obtaining death certificates. Baha‘i cemeteries, holy places, and community properties are oftenseized or desecrated, and many important religious sites have been destroyed. In recent years, Baha‘is in Iran have faced increasingly harsh treatment, including increasing numbers of arrests and detentions andviolent attacks on private homes and personal property.

Nearly 400 Baha‘is have been arbitrarily arrested since 2005 and, at end of the reporting period, at least 75 Baha‘is remain in prison on account of their religious beliefs. Dozens of Baha‘is are awaiting trialwhile others were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 90 days to several years. All of those convictedare reportedly in the process of appealing the verdicts. According to human rights groups, more than 300 Baha‘is have cases that are still active with authorities, despite having been released from detention. Alsoin recent years, Baha‘i cemeteries in various parts of the country, including Tehran, Ghaemshahr, Marvdasht, Semnan, Sari, Yazd, Najafabad, and Isfahan, have been desecrated, defaced, or in some wayblocked to the Baha‘i community. Over the past several years, several articles in the government-controllednewspaper Kayhan, whose managing editor is appointed by Supreme Leader AyatollahKhamenei, have vilified and demonized the Baha‘i faith and its community in Iran. Iranian authoritiesalso have gone to great lengths in recent years to collect information on all members of the Baha’i community in Iran and to monitor their activities.

In March and May 2008, seven Baha‘i leaders – Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naemi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm – were arrested and taken to the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. After numerous postponements, the trial for the five men and twowomen started in January 2010 and concluded in June. They were formally charged with espionage,propaganda activities against the Islamic order, the establishment of an illegal administration, cooperationwith Israel, acting against the security of the country, and corruption on earth. In August 2010, the seven Baha’is were sentenced to 20 years in prison and moved to Gohardasht prison in Karaj, a facility known for violence between inmates and unsanitary conditions. In September, authorities informed the seven Baha’is orally that the 20-year sentences were reduced to 10; however, prison authorities told the seven inMarch 2011 that the original 20-year sentences had been reinstated. Attorneys for the seven Baha’is, including Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, have had extremely limited access to their clients and courtproceedings and have said categorically that the charges against them are baseless. USCIRF met withfamily members of the imprisoned Baha‘i leaders when they visited Washington in February 2011.

Next page.

During the reporting period, dozens of Baha’is have been arrested in several different cities throughoutthe country, including Tehran, Babolsar, Karaj, Nazarabad, Shahrekord, Semnan, Mashhad, Bandar, Abbas, and Ghaemshahr. In most of these cases, Ministry of Intelligence officials appeared at the homes, of Baha’is, searched the premises and confiscated computers, books and other materials, and then madearrests. No formal charges have been filed.

In March 2011, six Baha’is were arrested in Kerman, four for allegedly providing education for young children and the other two for unknown reasons. All six remain in detention. Three Baha‘is from Isfahan, including two teenagers, were arrested in early 2011 for teaching children classes. They were subsequently released. In January 2011, Navid Khanjani, a twenty-four year old Baha‘i who beganadvocating for human rights after he was denied access to higher education, was sentenced to 12 years inprison after being convicted of “engaging in human rights activities,” “illegal assembly,” and “disturbance of the general public‘s opinion.” His lawyers are preparing an appeal. In March 2010, at least 50 young Baha’is were banned from travel outside the country, and some received prison sentencesranging from one to four years for teaching underprivileged children in southeastern Iran. During the past year, emboldened by Iranian law and policy, militant societal actors have physicallyattacked Baha‘is and committed violent acts, including arson on Baha‘i homes and businesses, withimpunity. A recent wave of arson attacks on Baha’i-owned businesses in Rafsanjan appears to be part ofa campaign to fracture relationships between Baha‘is and Muslims in the city. Since October 2010, at least a dozen shops have been attacked and at least 20 Baha‘i homes and businesses have received letterswarning that Baha‘is will suffer severe consequences for forming friendships with Muslims.

In June 2010, in the village of Ivel in Mazandran province, Iranian authorities demolished approximately50 Baha‘i homes as part of a long-running, officially-sanctioned campaign to expel the Baha‘is from the region. The vast majority of homes were unoccupied since the Baha‘i residents had fled after previousincidents of violence or as a result of official displacement.

In the past, Baha‘is have not been allowed to attend university in Iran. Although the Iranian governmentmaintains publicly that Baha‘is are free to attend university, reports over the past year indicate that the de facto policy of preventing Baha‘is from obtaining higher education remains in effect. Of the very few Baha‘is who were enrolled in universities in recent years, most were expelled once their religious beliefsbecame known. Furthermore, during the past few years, young Baha‘i schoolchildren in primary and highschools increasingly have been vilified, pressured to convert to Islam, and in some cases expelled on account of their religion.

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Source: http://iran.bahai.us/2011/05/04/uscirf-probes-persecution-of-iranian-bahai-community-in-2011-religious-freedom-report/

Persecution of the Baha’i community of Iran – a review

editor — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:44:05 +0000

Toronto, Ontario, 28 April 2011 (CBNS) — When 81-year-old Ashraf Khanjani-the wife of jailed Baha’i leader Jamaloddin Khanjani, 77, was on her deathbed, her last wish was to see her husband, said Nika Khanjani, her niece, a Montreal filmmaker. But Mrs. Khanjani had to content herself with a photograph of her husband, which she kissed shortly before passing away on 10 March 2011.

“They had an old-fashioned and cordial, but very robust love.” Ms. Khanjani said of her uncle and aunt’s 50-year marriage.

Since May 2008, Mr. Khanjani has been serving a jail term along with six other Baha’is who were members of the “Yaran-i-Iran” or “Friends in Iran” a national-level group that attended to the needs of Iran’s Baha’i community. Their crime is none other than being members of the Baha’i Faith, a religion which has been the focus of systematic, government-sponsored persecution in Iran since the 1979 revolution.

“In the files, in the case, there is nothing, no reason that basically convicts them,” said Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the lawyer of the seven leaders in a CNN.com article on 16 August 2009.

While Ashraf Khanjani’s funeral attracted between 8,000-10,000 mourners of all walks of life, Mr. Khanjani was denied the opportunity to attend it by Iranian authorities, a decision described by the Baha’i International Community as “desperately cruel.”

The Khanjani family’s experience illustrates some of the effects of the persecution faced by many of the approximately 300,000 Baha’is in the country. Iranian Baha’is are subjected to government-sanctioned arrests and violence, economic pressures, denial of the protection of the legal system in the country, denial of access to higher education and anti-Baha’i propaganda in the media among other human rights abuses.

Iranian citizens who are not themselves members of the Baha’i Faith but defend the rights of Baha’is are also intimidated by government officials.

The Canadian government has denounced the Iranian regime’s suppression of its own citizens, and has raised the issue repeatedly at the UN General Assembly. The 47-member UN Human Rights Council decided to establish a special investigator on Iran on 17 March 2011. Canada, though not a Council member was among the sponsors of the resolution.

In a Canadian House of Commons debate on 6 February 2011 on the human rights situation of Iran, six members of parliament, including members of the Conservative, Liberal and NDP parties, expressed their support of the Baha’is in Iran and their condemnation of the Iranian government’s record in respecting the human rights of the largest non-Muslim religious minority in the country.

Member of Parliament Jim Maloway described the treatment of Baha’is in Iran as very disturbing while (MP) Mario Silva said that he was struck “by the sheer violation of human rights against such a targeted group.”

MP Deepak Obhrai said in the same debate that the Iranian government should be “condemned in no uncertain terms” for its “suppression” of its own citizens, including the Baha’is.

The seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders previously mentioned-five men and two women- are among many that had experienced this “suppression” firsthand even before their imprisonment.

Mr. Khanjani, 77, was a successful factory owner, who lost his business after the 1979 Islamic revolution because of his membership in the Baha’i Faith. Mr. Khanjani has four children and six grandchildren.

Mahvash Sabet, 57, a schoolteacher and principal and mother of two was dismissed from public education for being a Baha’i.

Fariba Kamalabadi, 48, a developmental psychologist and mother of three was denied the opportunity to study at a public university because of her faith.

Afif Naeimi, 49, a businessman and father of two was unable to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor because as a Baha’i he was denied access to university.

Saeid Rezaie, 53, an agricultural engineer and father of three moved from Shiraz to Northern Iran to work because the persecution of Baha’is was intense in that area.

Behrouz Tavakkoli, 59, a social worker and father of two lost his government job in the early 1980s because of his Baha’i belief.

Vahid Tizfahm, 37, an optometrist and father of an 11-year-old has now been in prison during the formative years of his son’s life.

Many of the Baha’i leaders were rounded up in early morning raids at their homes in a sweep that is similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Baha’i leaders were summarily rounded up and killed in a similar attempt to eradicate the Bahá’í community as a viable entity.

On 12 January 2010 – after 20 months of imprisonment without charge during which they were subjected to physical and psychological hardship – the trial of the seven Baha’i leaders began. They had been permitted hardly one hour’s access to their legal counsel.

The Baha’i leaders were charged with, among other things, espionage, propaganda against the Islamic republic and the establishment of illegal administration-charges that were all rejected by the defendants.

Their trial ended on 14 June 2010 after six brief sessions characterized by the lack of due legal process, even from the standpoint of Iranian law.

The initial sentence of 20 years imprisonment for each of the defendants sparked condemnation from governments around the world-including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

One month later, the appeal court revoked three of the charges and reduced their sentence to 10-years imprisonment.

In March 2011, the prisoners were informed that their original 20-year sentence had been reinstated. Notwithstanding repeated requests, neither the prisoners nor their attorneys have ever received official copies of the original verdict or the ruling on appeal.

It appears that the appeal court ruling reducing the sentence to 10 years imprisonment was set aside as the result of a challenge launched by the Prosecutor General against the ruling on appeal, said Susanne Tamas, Director of Governmental Relations for the Baha’i Community of Canada. This was carried out under a provision of the Iranian legal system which allows the Prosecutor General to appeal to the Head of the Judiciary against any judgment rendered by a court that is deemed to be in contradiction with the provisions of Shariah law, she said. The 20 year sentence “is tantamount to life imprisonment for several of these prisoners,” said Ms. Tamas.

The latest development is “outrageous, and yet sadly unsurprising,” wrote Kishan Manocha, director of public affairs for the Baha’i community in a Wall Street Journal column written on 3 April 2011. Manocha said that the recent media attention given to the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa has made the Iranian government feel secure that the international community has forgotten the Baha’i case.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said in the 16 February 2011 debate that the human rights situation in Iran in general was forgotten as international attention shifted to other parts of the Middle East and North Africa.

He said that the Canadian government needed to keep their “focus on the Iranian people and the suffering that is happening there and the courage that is being expressed.”

The reinstatement of the sentences of the Baha’i leaders has been condemned by the European Union and European Parliament as well as governments, institutions and individuals in Brazil, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Christian Solidarity Worldwide have also expressed outrage at the sentence.

In addition to the unlawful arrest of the Baha’i leaders, since August 2004, some 379 Baha’is have been arrested in Iran, with over 70 Iranian Baha’is currently in prisons across the country because of their religion.

In March 2010, four Baha’is were arrested in connection with the provision of kindergarten-level education in Iran’s Kerman province.

Baha’i-owned businesses have been firebombed and torched and many Iranian Baha’is are regularly denied employment and their business licenses have been revoked.

The Khanjani family has been among those targeted by these economic pressures. Working in the agricultural sector, many of Mr. Khanjani’s children and relatives have been refused loans, had their businesses shut down, been subject to unexplained fines and had their business dealings limited because of their faith.

“I don’t know how my relatives are doing it, surviving day-to-day,” said Nika Khanjani of the current situation.

Baha’i youth are also barred from university by Iranian authorities. Some alternative education is provided to Baha’is through the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education, developed to meet the educational needs of those who were denied post-secondary education in Iran on the basis of their religion.

The Baha’i Institute of Higher Education is one of the many ways that the Baha’is of Iran have equipped their youth to continue to serve their country in the midst of severe persecution.

American journalist Roxana Saberi-cell mate of the jailed female Baha’i leaders Mrs. Sabet and Mrs. Kamalabadi- remembered their “generosity” and “compassion” in an opinion piece written for the Wall Street Journal on 15 March 2011. She said that the women lifted the spirits and gave hope to the other prisoners and took care of her when she was on a hunger strike.

She said in the article that when authorities at the Rajai Shahr Prison announced that inmates should cut off their contact with the Mrs. Sabet and Mrs. Kamalabadi, the fellow prisoners refused and continued to seek them out.

The late Mrs. Khanjani also continued to serve her country, notwithstanding the severe persecution inflicted by her government. “She looked after between 40-50 children at any given time without regard for their religious background”, said Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community for the United Nations in Geneva.

Ms. Khanjani said that since her aunt’s death her family members in Iran are grieving “on a very quiet and private level,” but are continuing on with their lives and their service to the community.

In the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on 27 March 2009, Member of Parliament Mario Silva spoke out on behalf of the situation of the Baha’is of Iran such as the Khanjani family.

“As parliamentarians and as leaders in the international community with a long commitment to promoting fundamental human rights, we must condemn this situation without reservation at every available opportunity,” he said.

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source: http://bahainews.ca/en/110428-iran