U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his concern over human rights violations in Iran against Baha'is, other minorities, women and juveniles.
In a 20-page document released on Monday, Mr. Ban responded to a request from the General Assembly last December for a “comprehensive report” on the human rights situation in Iran.
While noting some positive achievements, Mr. Ban stated that although Iran’s constitution guarantees a wide range of fundamental freedoms, “in practice there are a number of serious impediments to the...
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
United Nations—1 October 2008— |
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Baha’is who have sought redress from the courts over “incomplete files” or unjustified dismissal from university have been met with decisions with blanket statements like “the grievance is not recognized” and “the complaint is rejected.” Both documents here conclude with the statement, “This court order is final.” Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—5 September 2008—As the new academic year got under way, young Baha'is in Iran again found the door to higher education closed.
Although in its public stance the Iranian government maintains that Baha'is are free to attend university, reports over the past few weeks indicate that the policy of preventing Baha'is from obtaining higher education remains in effect.
Baha'i students attempting to gain admittance to universities and other institutions this fall found that their entrance examination results were frozen and their files listed as “incomplete” on the Web site of the national testing organization.... Read more . . . |
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Map of Yemen Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—27 August 2008—Three Baha’is currently imprisoned in Yemen are facing the possibility of imminent deportation to Iran, where Baha’is are intensely persecuted and they would likely face imprisonment or torture.
“We are gravely concerned about the fate of these three Baha'is, who are being held without charges in a case that is clearly based on religious persecution,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.
“Although the three have lived in Yemen for more than 25 years, they hold Iranian passports and we have come to believe that the Yemeni... Read more . . . |
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Member of Parliament Lembit Opik talks with four young speakers at the reception of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Baha'is group on 22 April 2008. From left are Collis Tahzib, Jenna Nicholas, Lavina Hassasing and Ruth Banda. Photograph: Andisheh Eslamboli. Subject: Human Rights
London—22 August 2008—Four young people offered their view of human rights at a reception this week in the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament.
The reception is an annual event hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Baha'is. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United Kingdom used this year’s reception to announce a program of activities planned to mark the 60th anniversary next December of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
One of the messages presented by Ruth Banda, Jenna Nicholas and Collis Tahzib, all members of the Baha’i Faith, and their friend Lavina... Read more . . . |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—12 August 2008—Fraudulent claims in the Iranian news media about seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders and the efforts of Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and others to defend them represent an effort by the government to prevent Baha'is from having adequate legal representation – and also to stir up “irrational fears and prejudices,” the Baha'i International Community said in a statement today.
“Reports published in government-run news outlets point to an effort on the part of the authorities to use the mass media to spread accusations that the seven prisoners have engaged in subversive activities, and to... Read more . . . |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—1 August 2008—
The Baha’i International Community categorically rejects statements by an Iranian prosecutor that seven Baha’is detained in Tehran have “confessed” to operating an “illegal” organization with ties to Israel and other countries.
“We deny in the strongest possible terms the suggestion that Baha’is in Iran have engaged in any subversive activity,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “The Baha’i community is not involved in political affairs. Their only ‘crime’ is the... |
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The Mousavi family of Fars province narrowly escaped injury when an arsonist poured gasoline and caused an explosion and fire that destroyed a hut near where the family was sleeping outside their home. Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—28 July 2008—Acts of arson targeting homes and vehicles are the latest violent tactics directed against the Baha’is of Iran.
“In the early hours of the morning of 18 July, the house of the Shaaker family in Kerman went up in flames, only weeks after their car had been torched and in the wake of a series of threatening phone calls,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.
“As would be expected in the light of the mistreatment Baha’is in Iran are routinely receiving, the officials who investigated the fire either ignored or dismissed obvious signs... Read more . . . |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—1 July 2008—
Six Nobel Peace Prize laureates have issued a statement calling on the Iranian government to free immediately seven prominent Iranian Baha’is imprisoned in Tehran.
The six Nobel winners, under the banner of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, called on the Iranian government to guarantee the safety of the Baha’is –- being held in Evin Prison with no formal charges and no access to lawyers -- and to grant them an unconditional release.
“We are thankful to these internationally prominent activists for calling publicly for the release of our fellow... |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—10 June 2008—Seven prominent Baha’is imprisoned in Iran have each been allowed a brief phone call to their families, the Baha’i International Community has learned.
The calls were the first contact with the jailed Baha’is since six of them were arrested on 14 May in pre-dawn raids at their homes in Tehran. The seventh was arrested in March in the city of Mashhad.
The Baha’i International Community has learned that on 3 June, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet and Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi were permitted to make short phone calls to their families. Mrs. Sabet had been detained in Mashhad on 5 March but on 26 May was... Read more . . . |
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Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
Geneva—30 May 2008—The following are a series of short biographical profiles of the seven Baha'i leaders currently being held in Evin prison in Iran. Six were arrested in their homes in Tehran on 14 May 2008. A seventh had been arrested earlier, on 5 March 2008, while visiting Mashhad.
As the profiles will show, all have served Iranian society and also the Baha'i community extensively. As well, like most Iranian Baha'is, they have all experienced varying degrees of persecution since the Islamic Republic of Iran was established in 1979.
Their current imprisonment is particularly alarming because of their leadership... Read more . . . |
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