According to information conveyed by the authorities in Evin prison to the family members of the seven Baha'is who have been imprisoned in Tehran, Iran, for over a year, their trial date has been set for 11 July 2009. This information has been provided to the family members only orally and, as information conveyed by officials concerning the judicial process has often proved unreliable, it is possible that the Iranian authorities may find some reason to change the trial date.
The seven were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held more than a year without formal...
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
1 July 2009— |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
26 June 2009—With hearts grieved by events unfolding in Iran, we address this letter to you, the steadfast followers of Bahá’u’lláh in that land. To the concern for your safety that has long weighed on us is now added mounting fear for the safety of millions of Iranian men and women, so many of them at the pinnacle of their youth, their vast potentialities yearning to be realized. How rapidly have veils been rent asunder! Cruelty meted out in calculated measures to you and others over the years has been unleashed in the streets of Iran for all humanity to see. No matter what the turn of events, we are confident you will adhere firmly to the... Read more . . . |
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Member of Parliament Jim Turnour was one of six members of the Australian House of Representatives to speak in favor of a motion calling on Iran to release seven Baha’is imprisoned in Tehran for the past year without due legal process. “We will maintain close interest in this case and will continue to raise our concerns with the Iranian government,” he said during the discussion on 25 May 2009. (... Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
Canberra, Australia—1 June 2009—
The Australian Parliament has called on the government of Iran to release seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders “without delay.”
A motion from the House of Representatives expresses “serious concern” that the detained Baha’is have had no access to legal representation and have not been subject to due legal process.
It also expresses concern about charges of “spying, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic Republic, and that these charges could attract the death penalty.”
Finally, the motion calls on Iran to... |
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The seven Bahá'í leaders who have now been held in Tehran's Evin Prison for a full year are, seated from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet. Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—11 May 2009—The seven Baha'i leaders currently imprisoned in Iran are facing the anniversary of their arrest this Thursday, along with new and extremely grave accusations, after spending a year in jail without formal charges or access to their lawyer, Shirin Ebadi.
"Despite their obvious innocence and the call by many for their immediate release, these seven men and women have been in legal limbo for a year now, against all international human rights standards," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.
"Moreover, their families have recently... Read more . . . |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
Geneva—19 April 2009—
The Baha’i International Community joined two human rights organizations in calling on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to address discrimination in his own country when he speaks this week at the conference known as Durban II.
The statement was issued as a joint news release by the Baha’i International Community, the Iranian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LDDHI), and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH).
In addition to calling on the Iranian president to address discrimination against ethnic minorities, women... |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
Ottawa—30 March 2009—
Canada's House of Commons has 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, which was approved on 30 March, 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... |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—6 March 2009—
The Baha'i International Community has issued an open letter to Iran's prosecutor general outlining the tragic history of the persecution of Baha'is in that country, explaining their innocence in the face of accusations made by the government, and asking for fairness in any upcoming trial of seven Baha'i prisoners.
Sent late yesterday by email to Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi, the letter also suggests that the government's continued oppression of Baha'is will ultimately have a wide impact on Iranian society as a whole.
"Your Honor... |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—15 February 2009—
International reaction to news that Iran may soon put on trial seven Baha'i leaders for espionage and other charges came swiftly last week as governments, parliamentary leaders and human rights organizations expressed strong criticism of any such trial. Many called for the immediate release of the Baha'is.
The group of seven has been imprisoned in Tehran since last spring. Since then, no formal charges had been announced, but the Iranian news agency ISNA reported last Wednesday that the Baha’is would be accused of “espionage for... |
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The open letter signed by more than 240 Iranian academics, writers, activists and others, says “We are ashamed!” of silence in the face of persecution of Baha’is in Iran. Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—3 February 2009—The Baha’i International Community has issued a statement of gratitude to the 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 from the Iranians – dated 3 February and signed so far by 243 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... Read more . . . |
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The imprisoned individuals whose trial is pending are, top from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Mahvash Sabet; bottom from left, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Saeid Rezaie and Afif Naeimi. Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
Geneva—30 January 2009—The European Union yesterday issued a statement expressing its “deep concern” over Iran’s plans to bring seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders to trial for espionage and other charges soon. The Baha’i International Community has called for their immediate release, maintaining their innocence and characterizing the regime’s claims as an “escalation of its systematic crackdown on the Baha’is.”
The EU statement coincided with increasingly sharp anti-Baha'i rhetoric from Iranian officials, who said a trial for the seven might come within a week.
The seven Baha'i leaders have been imprisoned in Tehran... Read more . . . |
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