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.’”