UN Human Rights Council 24th session

Statements

UN Human Rights Council 24th session

Item:4 General Debate - 15th Meeting 24th Regular Session of Human Rights Council

Geneva—17 September 2013

Mr. President,

Three weeks ago, a Baha'i by the name of Mr. Ata'u'llah Rezvani was shot in the back of the head in the city of Bandar Abbas in Iran.  His body was found in his car near the railway station on the outskirts of the city where he lived with his wife and two children.  During the past few years, he had been pressured to leave the city by agents from the Intelligence Ministry, and recently he had received threatening phone calls from unknown people.  His assailants apparently forced him to drive to the location where he was murdered.

As a young man, Mr. Rezvani was expelled from university, the same unjust fate forced upon every young Baha'i in Iran today.  Recently, due to pressure and threats from the Intelligence Ministry, he was also dismissed from his job.

Mr. President,

Baha'is in Iran are not only imprisoned because of their beliefs and deprived of many basic rights, including the rights to work and higher education, but hateful propaganda is spread against them both by the State-sponsored media and by religious leaders.  For example, in recent years, a senior local cleric incited people to hatred and intolerance against the Baha'i Faith in the city where Mr. Rezvani was murdered.  It should also be noted that less than two months ago, an old fatwa issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader was published – by government sponsored media – in which he forbids Muslims from associating with Baha'iss.

Iran's new president, Mr. Hassan Rohani, has promised to uphold human rights for the people of Iran.  He must now show that his promises are genuine by not only investigating this religiously motivated crime but to uphold and respect the rights of all minorities in the country, as required by Iran's international obligations.  Those responsible must be held accountable and punished for this heinous act.