The degree to which the government of Iran has allowed the perpetrators of crimes against its own citizens to escape prosecution was the focus of a side event held during the 14th session of the Human Rights Council.

Titled “Iran: Crimes and Impunity,” the event featured a panel that included Diane Ala'i, a representative of the Baha'i International Community to the UN, Shadi Sadr, an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist, and Gianfranco Fattorini, of the Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l'amitié entre les peuples.

Ms. Ala’i spoke about the executions that took place against the Baha'is in the 1980s as well as the recent killing of a well-known Baha'i in Iran because of his religious belief, Mr. Ataollah Rezvani, who was killed execution style on 24 August 2013.

Mr. Rezvani, said Ms. Ala’i, was “one of the over 200 Baha’is killed in Iran because of their faith. The majority of Baha’is were killed in the 1980s, although there have been others after.”

“These executions are by the hand of a regime that doesn't accept people who think differently,” she said, saying targets of persecution include “people who have different political opinions, and people who are part of different ethnic groups, and people who want to defend human rights.”

The event was held at the Palais des Nations on 11 September 2013.