Harana News- Farah Baghi, a Baha’i prisoner in Yazd since 10 February 2015, in a letter addressed to the Islamic Revolutionary Attorney of Yazd, talks about her family, herself, her patience and that she is not vengeful. The full text of her letter offered to Harana News is as follows:

In the name of God,

To the Islamic Revolutionary Attorney of Yazd,

With greetings,

With all due respect: I would like to bring to your attention that I, Farah Baghi (Ghodrat), a Baha’i prisoner since the 10 February 2015, am incarcerated in the women’s section of Yazd’s central prison. As a confession to other people is not permissible and, if there is any repentance in this Age, I should offer it only to Almighty God, I would like to say that my aim in writing this letter is not to prove my innocence, nor, as some in positions of authority say, “pretend to be innocent”.

After expulsion from university in 1983, I was married; one year into married life my Baha’i husband, Vahid Ghodrat, was accused of being a spy, interrogated, tortured and sentenced to be executed. When my husband was arrested, I was in the fifth month of my pregnancy with my first child. Finally, during that critical period my child was born, and for six years I raised my child alone, with enormous hardship. After six years my husband was “pardoned”.

Later on, I was blessed with two more children. It is interesting to note that after twenty years my children, who were admitted into two highly valued disciplines (Medicine and Architecture) with high scores, were also expelled from university. At the same time my husband was rearrested and incarcerated for one year. Currently my brother (Fariborz Baghi) and I are enduring prison terms.

I would like to request from you a moment of contemplation to consider how it is possible that a family of five, after a collective eight years of imprisonment and the expulsion of four of its members from university, can survive and continue their life? Is it not the case that under ordinary conditions such people would be totally destroyed and no sign of existence remain in them?

In your opinion what allows them to survive and continue their life?

Is there any human, with mere earthly qualities, meagre facilities and no access to political influence, who stand such a powerful onslaught?

I assure you that until my last breath, my family and I, who have faced all this pressure and atrocities, will in the future continue to stand without a moment’s hesitation, and will not give up.

The reason is that our religion dictates patience under all circumstances. We offer our unsullied love to humanity, and never think of revenge toward our enemies. I hope by what is said here to become the water which may extinguish the fire of enmity and hatred which unnecessarily surrounds us.

With respect,

Farah Baghi

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30 September 2015

According to the “No to the Persecution and Imprisonment of Baha’i Citizens” campaign, a 10-year-old child has been expelled from his primary school in Karaj because he is a Baha’i.

Mohammad Nourizad, a human rights activist in Iran, writes: Last Saturday I received an email from a friend telling me that they wanted to expel his 10-year-old son from school in Karaj because he is a Baha’i. I told my friend a 10-year-old couldn’t be Baha’i or Moslem or Christian. But the school principal saw this child as a Baha’i, and insisted that either he goes or she will go. I arranged to meet the father in front of the school the next day and we entered together.

The principal was a slight, sullen 60-year-old woman. The father said to her, you asked me to come and collect my son’s file. “Yes”, she replied – either he goes or I go.” I asked her: “Is there anything wrong with this child?” She said: “There’s nothing wrong except that he is not acceptable in my creed.” As soon as she uttered these words I knew that this woman was of the brainless old-fashioned breed, whose head was completely filled with the morass disseminated by the Hojjatieh Society*, and whose only purpose in life was to attack Baha’is.

I said: “So if there is a problem it is because of your beliefs. What is the difference between you and Daesh [ISIS]? If you had any sense you would accept this child and try to attract him with your kindness, courtesy, wisdom and tolerance instead of repelling him from Shi’ite Islam with the garment of hatred you have forced on him. If I cannot close down your school because of your actions, I will make sure that every car that passes your school will jeer at the ignorance which is prevalent here.”

When we were outside, I told the father not to take the file under any circumstances. I said: “Your son is a student in this school; drop him off here every morning; let them refuse to admit him; we must sweep away this ignorance once and for all.”

*For more on the Hojjatieh Society, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hojjatieh

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Saturday, 19 September 2015

by Mahrokh Gholamhoseinpour

Over the last month, as usual, a large number of Baha’i students who participated in the National University Entrance Examination received a letter entitled “incomplete application”.   Based on letters previously sent to Baha’is right before the start of the new academic year, most Baha’i youth prefer not to try their luck at the National Entrance Exam, because they know getting in is almost  impossible, due to an unspoken law.   Although on April 6 of this year, in an interview with ILNA, Mohammad Javad Larijani, Secretary of the Human Rights Council of the Iranian Judiciary, completely denied any probation or ban of education due to being a Baha’i, and said that Islamic Republic Officials “recognize and support Iranian citizens’ constitutional rights.”

I had a conversation with Mahyar Nedaf, born 1978 in Mashhad, which can be used as a benchmark to assess Mohammad Javad Larijani’s claim.

Where did the story begin?

I was ranked 1829^th*. I was hoping to pass the exam and continue my education, but when I received an “incomplete application” letter, all these hopes and dreams vanished.  Since the desire to study really does not ever leave me, I am personally not able to express my feelings of love for what I have been deprived of.   I truly have a love of learning; if I were allowed to enter university, perhaps I would have kissed the university’s threshold, and would have memorized my professor’s every word, and would have been extremely appreciative and thankful, because this is a sacred place to me.  We are born and bred in the same land as others, we studied in grade school for 12 years in government paid schools, and the continuation of these sanctions against education is a waste of the capital spent on our grade school education up to this point.

Was this the first time you participated in the entrance examination?

No.  It was 17 years ago when I first applied to participate in the exams, but a permission card was not issued for me.

What was their excuse and reason?

They simply said an exam card has not been issued for you, and so you are not allowed to take the exam.  The second time I did not pursue this issue seriously either: I participated in the Arts, Humanities and English examinations, but when I became qualified to choose my preference for an area of study, because I frequently heard that even if I am qualified, I would not be allowed to enter university, I did not choose any.

How was it that you decided to participate in the exams this year?

This year I was more motivated and willing to participate in the exam.  I answered all the questions with a great effort and was accepted with a ranking of 1829.  I selected my field very carefully, and I was really hoping to attend college.  But on the day that the results were to be announced, they wrote me and asked me to either write to a particular P.O. Box address, or to report to the Assessment Organization due to an “Incomplete Application”.

What was your favorite area of study?

Since you are allowed to choose up to 100 possible areas of study (majors), I had selected business administration at Tehran University, as well as public relations, information technology and tourism and hospitality.

What is the general public’s reaction to this issue?

In fact, public opinion has changed quite a lot. Many of my countrymen are sincerely sorry and express sympathy.  People show understanding and empathize on this issue – it really is very different from how it used to be some years ago.

Were you under pressure because of your Faith in high school too?

Yes, I dealt with some problems while in high school.  I was even expelled from school for this reason.  Once due to moving to another house, I had to transfer to another school, but as soon as the new school found out I was a Baha’i, they did not ask for my academic records for an official transfer until the end of the academic year, and they sent me back to my previous school for the next academic year.

Does this treatment hurt you?

Generally the Iranian Baha’i community deals with many social deprivations, such as not being able to get a  passport,  no permission to leave the country,  having no marriage certificate, and at times we are not even allowed to register our marriages. Can you imagine? Only seven years after my wedding were we were finally able to register our marriage, with much effort.  Now that the Baha’i community’s purity of intention has been proven, I hope the Iranian government takes some positive steps regarding these issues.  Throughout all these years, despite all the pressure and arrests, Baha’is have been charitable and law abiding citizens. Even given all these issues, the Baha’is always sought to follow the law of the land and be obedient to the official ruling Government of Iran.

Did you try to follow up on the issues?

I heard from some friends that they had the same problems. On the morning of the eighteenth I went to the Assessment Organization.  They asked many questions at the door to figure out why I was there. I explained and they sent me upstairs, wrote the office number on a piece of paper and handed it to me.  As soon as I entered that office, the workers looked at each other and smiled – it was clear that they had been informed by telephone.  When I explained the issue and stressed that I wanted to pursue the matter seriously, they took my information.  They had a list of names, and were able to quickly find my name on that list. They told me that at the moment the reason was not clear and the problem might be identified in a month or so.  I told them that I needed to register within the next few months, that there was not much time left.  But they said didn’t think much about it; they didn’t know anything yet; that I should leave and come back in a month.  I asked them to put it in writing and note that I was there to follow up on my status. They said they were not able to put anything in writing; they said that there is an issue and that I needed to go visit their manager Mr. Nourbakhsh in Tehran.  I insisted that they give these instructions to me in writing, but they said that they were not allowed to give me any kind of a written notice.  I went to the office of the head of that department and spoke to the office manager there, and asked them what I was to do?  He said: “There are one to two thousand others like you, and it is what it is: the final report will be published on the Seventeenth of September on the Assessment Organization’s website, come back after that date.”  Their tone made it clear to me that nothing different will happen then either.

Will you follow-up with them again?

Yes, I will pursue the matter.  As I was leaving, they asked me to give them back the piece of paper with the office number, but I took a picture of that paper with my cell phone and told them that I would like to have a record of today’s visit for the next time that I come back to check on the status.  Other friends contacted me and said that they were eliminated due to “incomplete application” and their case has been excluded from consideration, and that they have been disqualified from inquiring.  I will pursue this issue wherever legally possible. The next time I go, I will submit the request for status in writing.  If necessary, I will go to Tehran and try to find Mr. Nourbakhsh.

What is the purpose of the follow-up?

A while ago, in one of his talks, Mr. Larijani said that no Baha’i is have been deprived of an education due to being Baha’is, so I just want to ask him: exactly what is the reason for my designation of “incomplete application”?  They should look into it and tell me, so I can resolve any issues with my application, so that I can be educated and serve my community and my homeland better. This is not a slogan for Baha’is; the acquisition of knowledge and education has a special station.  Although all of us are banned from going to university, we are constantly busy reading and studying.  When Prophet Muhammad says “study sciences even if you are in China”, or Imam ‘Ali says “whoever teaches me a word has gained my servitude”, it means that true Islam will not prevent any individual from acquiring knowledge because of a different belief.

* See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_University_Entrance_Exam. Approx 900,000 students took the exam this year.

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September 29, 2015

HRANA News Agency – Today at noon, Vahed Kholoosi, a civil rights activist and an expelled Baha’i student, was transferred to Hall 12 of Section 4 in Rajai Shahr prison.

According to HRA –  Human Rights Activists in Iran –  Vahed Kholoosi, a Baha’i civil rights activist who was imprisoned on September 13^th, 2015 to serve his 5-year sentence, was transferred to Hall 12 of Section 4 at Rajai Shahr prison today.

This human rights activist received his subpoena on August 17^th, 2011. Upon his arrival at Branch 3 of the Evin Prison Court, he was arrested and spent 21 days in Section 2A of the notorious Evin Prison; he was subsequently transferred to Rajai Shahr prison.

In June 2011 Mr. Kholoosi was sentenced to 5 years in prison at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, with Judge Moghiseh as presiding judge. This sentence was upheld in appeals court as well.

He was charged with “collaboration and conspiracy to commit crimes against national security”, “membership in the Baha’i Faith and active participation in affairs of that community and contributing to its spread”, “membership and active participation in organizations defending both the right to education and human rights” and “propaganda against the regime of the Islamic Republic [of Iran].”

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28 SEP 2015  POSTED BY WRN EDITORIAL STAFF

BAHAI’S ARE EXPRESSING THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT OVER PRESIDENT ROUHANI’S FAILURE TO ADDRESS RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION DURING HIS SPEECH AT THE UN.

NEW YORK – The Baha’i International Community expressed its disappointment over Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s failure to address the human rights situation in his country during his speech today at the United Nations.

“While we note the promise of coexistence and dialogue with other nations that marked President Rouhani’s speech, we are extremely disappointed that he did not discuss any steps he would take to improve the human rights of Iranian citizens,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

Ms. Dugal said President Rouhani has failed to end religious discrimination, despite promises to do so, something that was raised last week by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his annual report on human rights in Iran to the General Assembly.

She noted in particular that Mr. Ban expressed concern about “reports of persistent discrimination” against ethnic and religious minorities, while noting that President Rouhani had himself made commitments aimed at “ensuring equality, upholding freedom of belief and religion, extending protection to all religious groups and amending legislation that discriminates against minority groups.”

“President Rouhani has now had two full years to live up to the promises he has made regarding an end to religious discrimination in Iran. Sadly, despite all his talk, little progress has been made,” said Ms. Dugal.

“In the case of the Iranian Baha’i community, the government has actually intensified its anti-Baha’i propaganda campaign in the media. The arbitrary arrest and detention of Baha’is has continued, and Baha’i youth are still banned from higher education.”

Ms. Dugal said more than 6,300 items of hate propaganda directed against Baha’is have been published in government-sponsored Persian media since President Rouhani took office in August 2013.

The government has also continued its crackdown on Baha’i businesses, said Ms. Dugal, adding that there have been more than 200 individual incidents of economic oppression against Baha’is under President Rouhani’s administration, whilst the exclusion of Baha’is from public sector employment, begun in the early 1980s, continues.

“With 74 Baha’is currently in Iranian prisons, solely because of their religious beliefs, it is clear that President Rouhani’s promises for change are hollow,” she said.

“At a time when world leaders are meeting with President Rouhani, the Secretary-General’s report is a sober reminder that the human rights situation in Iran desperately needs to remain on the international agenda,” she said.

“How long must Iranian Baha’is face persecution? How long must they wait before they can go to university, be allowed to bury their dead without obstruction, or live without fear of imprisonment?” she said.

Ms. Dugal also acknowledged the recent article by former Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari, who wrote last week that “[t]he best way to test the Iranian government’s will for a new chapter in its relationship with the rest of the world is to question them about their treatment of 300,000 Iranian Baha’is.”

“Mr. Bahari, who was himself imprisoned in Iran in 2009, correctly points out that when Iranian officials are asked to explain why they persecute Baha’is, ‘they simply don’t tell the truth.’ The world must ask why President Rouhani not only refuses to discuss reports of human rights violations generally but also avoids addressing his government’s unwillingness to confront the Baha’i question,” said Ms. Dugal.

For more information, go to https://www.bic.org.

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By Ramin Ahmadi

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani addresses a plenary meeting of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, New York (Reuters/Carlo Allegri)

In all my years as an Iranian-American, I have never heard so much discussion about Iran. In the halls of Congress, on the Sunday morning talk shows, at any number of academic and civil society events over the last several months, experts have analyzed, opined on, condemned and supported the international negotiations with Iran. Ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting in September–where President Rouhani is set to speak today, alongside other world leaders–it’s time for the voice of conscience to emerge from this din.

Now that the P5+1 and Iran have reached a nuclear deal, we need to pay more attention to Iran’s human rights crisis. It would be far too easy for Iran’s legacy of abuse and repression to slip by unnoticed once the spotlight dims on its nuclear program. How will the US leverage its renewed relationship with Iran to advance a human rights agenda? Will the international community continue to press Iran to protect the rights of minorities, journalists and dissidents? These are questions we need to hear answered by the US and other major players.

By all indications, the human rights situation in Iran has actually worsened since Rouhani took office in Aug. 2013. Rouhani campaigned as a moderate and promised to improve what he called “citizens’ rights.” Initially, the prospects that he would follow through on these pledges looked good. He made some overtures immediately after taking office, including releasing a handful of political prisoners before he attended the UN General Assembly in Sep. 2013 and wishing a happy new year to Iran’s Jewish community on Twitter.

Yet, human rights advocates worry that this rhetoric has lulled the international community into a false sense of security for the remainder of Rouhani’s tenure. Even a cursory look at the facts on the ground demonstrates that fundamental rights in Iran have deteriorated on his watch. Executions have jumped dramatically, including for juveniles and those convicted of less serious crimes, such as drug possession. Women have been the victims of a wave of acid attacks, to which lawmakers responded with a bill that would further empower officials to police Islamic dress. The government continues to jail journalists, among them Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. And ethnic and religious minorities have faced increased persecution. In March of this year, Iran again went before the UN Human Rights Council, where Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on Iran, noted that conditions in Iran are deteriorating, despite Rouhani’s pledges to make improvements.

In particular, Iran’s largest religious minority, the Baha’i community, which I have previously argued are an important barometer for the freedom of Iranian society, have faced intensifying repression. The numbers of Baha’is in prison reached a twenty-year high of 136 last year, and several violent attacks against Baha’is have gone uninvestigated. The government has stepped up its crackdowns on Baha’i-owned businesses, and state-sponsored hate propaganda against Baha’is has increased significantly.

Some analysts suspect that these escalating abuses have been carried out by hardliners, presumably on the orders of the Supreme Leader, in order to undermine President Rouhani in the nuclear negotiations. Yet, there are a number of abuses that have been carried out by agencies for which Rouhani is responsible. But regardless of what is happening behind the scenes in Iran’s opaque and byzantine governmental structures, the fact remains that Rouhani has not even spoken out against many of these abuses. Whether or not he can prevent or remedy them, he has at least tacitly consented to them through his silence.

So why has Rouhani failed to even partially deliver on his campaign promises? It would be easy to conclude that Rouhani decided that he must expend his political capital on the nuclear negotiations, and that, by staying silent in the face of human rights abuses, he projects “strength” and appeases the hardliners at home. But what Rouhani fails to understand is that silence in the face of human rights abuses is not a sign of strength; it is a sign of weakness. The people of Iran know right from wrong, and they will respect and appreciate the strength it takes to help Iran advance by showing leadership on human rights. Rouhani must speak out for the rights of Iran’s citizens, and responsible nations must continue to raise this issue with his government.

At the UN General Assembly this fall, the international community must ensure that, irrespective of the outcome of the nuclear deal, it holds Iran accountable for the rights and freedoms of all its citizens.

We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

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By Maziar Bahari

President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations General Assembly last year.
This year, he will say that Iran's government is peaceful and will lie
about atrocities committed against its people.

The Iranian government has a choice to make when President Hassan Rouhani visits New York this month: It can either remain a backward regime led by fundamentalist clerics or it can become a legitimate member of the world community. I predict that President Rouhani will try to present a more rational image of his government in his speech, on 28 September, addressing the 193 countries of the United Nations General Assembly and in individual meetings with world leaders. He will highlight signing the nuclear deal with the United States and other world powers as proof that the Iranian government is modern and peaceful. But he and his diplomats will also lie about the atrocities they commit against their own people.

The best way to test the Iranian government’s will for a new chapter in its relationship with the rest of the world is to question them about theirtreatment of 300,000 Iranian Baha’is, the country’s largest religious minority. The Baha’is have been the most persecuted group of Iranians since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. As such, they should be viewed as the barometer of the government’s domestic and international policies. Every time a more liberal faction has come to power — such as when Mohammad Khatami, a moderate cleric, was elected president in 1997 — and has attempted to give more freedom to Iranians and to repair its international relations, the Baha’is have enjoyed a relative relief from persecution. But when the regime has curbed civil liberties and become hostile to other countries, such as after the rigged election in 2009, the first victims of the ensuing crackdowns have been the Baha’is.

The Baha’i Faith began in the 19th century and its fundamental beliefs are non-violence, universal education and equality. Baha’is believe that their prophet, Baha’u’llah, is the latest prophet of God. Ever since the faith was founded in Iran, the Baha’is have been persecuted by some Shia Muslims who call them heretics and corruptors of the earth — crimes punishable by death in Islam. The clerics have especially objected to two Baha’i beliefs: the equality of men and women and the idea that a clergy is not necessary for religious guidance. These beliefs threatened the patriarchal system of the clergy and its livelihood. In the 19th century, Baha’is were shackled and paraded in the streets of Iranian cities and their homes were burnt to the ground.

Iran’s government has persecuted the Baha’is in a more systematic fashionsince the clerics came to power after the 1979 revolution. Hundreds were kidnapped or murdered in the early 1980s. Baha’is are barred from teaching and studying in universities. They can’t be employed legally, and their businesses, cemeteries and places of worship are regularly ransacked by vigilantes supported by government agents.

After an international, mostly American, outcry against the 1980s killings, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered that the Baha’is “be tolerated” as citizens but denied their basic rights. In 2012, he issued a fatwaagainst the Baha’is, calling them “infidels” and “unclean.” He insisted that Muslims “should not touch the food or other Baha’i belongings that can sully Muslims.”

No one expects the Baha’is to be granted equal rights overnight — during President Rouhani’s visit to the United Nations — but the first step for Iran’s government to show real signs of change is to start talking about the ongoing persecution of 300,000 Baha’is.

Hundreds of prisoners of conscience — including dozens of Baha’is — are unjustly held in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison.

When Iranian officials are asked to explain why they persecute the Baha’is,they simply don’t tell the truth. They claim that Baha’is are not discriminated against, and that those Baha’is who have been killed or imprisoned in Iran have been subjected to severe punishments for committing other crimes, mainly espionage, and not because of their faith. The Iranian government has not produced even a single document to prove that an Iranian Baha’i has spied for any country. You can be sure that if the Islamic regime had a shred of evidence they’d have spread it across their media outlets.

In recent conversations, such as one I had before writing this piece, pro-Rouhani Iranian officials claim they don’t condone the treatment of the Baha’is. “May God be my witness, if Mr. Rouhani had the power, he would’ve stopped all discriminations against the Baha’is,” a friendly Iranian foreign ministry official told me in a Skype call. “But this is not the right time to raise the Baha’i issue. We’re trying to convince our own radicals that this nuclear deal is an opportunity for Iran to have better relations with other countries, have a better economy and provide the basics for our people. We have more important priorities than the Baha’is now. We should talk about them and other problems when we have a calmer situation in Iran, and the region.”

I had to stop my friend before he continued. “Then, you mean, not in this lifetime?” I asked.

My friend hung up on me. But Iranian reformists have repeated this half-hearted line for twenty years. They have tried to make Iran a more inclusive country but they have failed to find the courage to address religious zealotry — the main reason behind the problems that have plagued Iran since the 1979 revolution.

President Rouhani now has a chance, on a global platform, to improve his government’s relationship with the rest of the world and his own people. It’s time for him and his government to start by explaining why they have systematically persecuted the Baha’is for almost forty years. Expecting an instant change of heart by Iranian officials is unrealistic — but if they told the truth about the suffering of 300,000 Iranian Baha’is, it would lead to constructive dialogue and point the way to true change.

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Maziar Bahari is the founder of the notacrime.me/Iran campaign for freedom of expression and education equality in Iran. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr Shirin Ebadi — both Nobel Peace Prize laureates — are two of the campaign’s biggest supporters. And this year the campaign is creating murals around the world (starting in New York City ahead of the United Nations General Assembly ) to bring attention to Iran’s human rights crisis.

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As world leaders gather for the United Nations’ general assembly, a dozen massive murals all over New York City are trying to send a big message to the Iranian government about human rights and persecution of religious minorities.

The murals are intended to call attention to the plight of journalists imprisoned by the government in Iran and religious minorities such as the Baha’is, who report persecution. Activists hope to catch the eye of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who is expected to address the United Nations on Sept. 28.

“We want to create a discourse in the city so when world leaders, different delegates come to New York in September, at least some of them will talk about the situation of the Baha’is in Iran, some of them will talk about the journalists in Iran,” journalist Maziar Bahari told The Associated Press.

Marina Zumi’s “No Truth No Light” features the striking image of a neon blue gazelle for the purpose of inspiring conversations on social justice.(Photo: Paint the Change/Instagram)

The project is inspired by Bahari’s #NotACrime campaign, which highlights the injustices that he and others faced in Iran. After joking about being a spy on a segment of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, the former Newsweek reporter was arrested in Tehran in 2009 and spent 118 days in prison before being released.

South African artist Faith47’s mural depicts the mouthless face of Iranian artist and activist Atena Farghadani, who was sentenced to 12-plus years in prison for a politically charged satirical cartoon. (Photo: Paint the Change/Instagram)

Some of the famous international artists involved in the project are American POPaganda artist Ron English, Iranian American painter Nicky Nodjoumi, and Argentine artist Marina Zumi.

A mural created by artist Slawek Czajkowski illustrates the human rights violations occurring in Iran.(Photo: Facebook)

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Last updated: 24 September 2015

Summary

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, Baha’is have been systematically persecuted as a matter of government policy. During the first decade of this persecution, more than 200 Baha’is were killed or executed, hundreds more were tortured or imprisoned, and tens of thousands lost jobs, access to education, and other rights – all solely because of their religious belief.

Government-led attacks on the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority have re-intensified in the last decade. Since 2005, more than 800 Baha’is have been arrested, and the number of Baha’is in prison has risen from fewer than five to more than 70. The list of prisoners includes all seven members of a former leadership group serving the Baha’i community of Iran. In 2010, the seven were wrongly sentenced to 20 years in prison, which is the longest term currently facing any prisoner of conscience in Iran. The constant threat of raids, arrests, and detention or imprisonment is among the main features of Iran’s persecution of Baha’is today.

Other types of persecution include economic and educational discrimination, strict limits on the right to assemble and worship, and the dissemination of anti-Baha’i propaganda in the government-led news media. Attacks on Baha’is or Baha’i-owned properties go unprosecuted and unpunished, creating a sense of impunity for attackers. Since 2005, for example, there have been at least 52 incidents of arson against Baha’i properties, crimes for which no one has been arrested. During the same period, 42 incidents of vandalism at Baha’i cemeteries have been recorded. As noted by a top UN human rights official, the government-led persecution spans “all areas of state activity, from family law provisions to schooling, education, and security.” Put another way: the oppression of Iranian Baha’is extends from cradle to grave.

The situation facing Baha’is has not changed since the coming to power of President Hassan Rouhani in August 2013, despite his promises to end religious discrimination. Since his inauguration, at least 108 Baha’is have been arrested, 22 Baha’is have been expelled from university, and at least 180 Baha’i-owned businesses have been shut down or been threatened. More than 6,300 pieces of anti-Baha’i propaganda have been disseminated in the Iranian media during his administration. Read more…

Imprisonments

There are currently 74 Baha’is in prison, all on false charges related solely to their religious belief. The list includes all seven Baha’i leaders, who currently remain in prison, serving wrongful 20-year sentences for allegedly “disturbing national security,” “spreading propaganda against the regime,” and “engaging in espionage.”

Since 2005, more than 800 Iranian Baha’is have been arrested. Most of the arrests and detentions follow a similar pattern: Agents of the Ministry of Intelligence arrive at the homes of Baha’is, search the premises, confiscate items such as computers and books, and then make arrests.

In April 2015, for example,13 Baha’is were arrested in Hamadan. The arrests came over a period of two weeks, as intelligence agents raided and searched a number of Baha’i homes there. Owners/occupants were arrested on charges such as “engaging in propaganda against the regime.” Most were released within a day or so after posting large sums for bail, ranging from US$8,000 to US$20,000. One woman, however, was detained for nine days in solitary confinement.

On 11 August 2014, five Baha’is were arrested in Tehran during a raid on an optical shop. Arrested were shop owners Aladdin (Niki) Khanjani and Babak Mobasher, along with three employees, Naser Arshi-Moghaddam, Ataollah Ashrafi and Rouhollah Monzavi. Mr. Khanjani is the son of Jamaloddin Khanjani, one of the seven Baha’i leaders who are currently serving 20 year prison sentences on false charges including espionage. Agents also confiscated their computers and other electronic devices and took a large amount of goods and products from their shop.

Other incidents involving the arrest and detention of Baha’is in recent months include:

• On 5 August 2014, government agents in Shiraz arrested four Baha’is. Vahid Dana, Saeid Abedi, and Bahiyyeh Moeinipour were arrested at their homes, while Adib Haqpazhuh was arrested at his workplace. To date, no information has been received about their whereabouts or status.

• On 27 July 2014, a Baha’i in Vilashahr was arrested and beaten after refusing to work on a secret computer program for the Revolutionary Guards.

• On 8 July 2014, Saghi Fadaie was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Mashhad. After a few hours she was taken to her home, where agents searched her belongings and took her into detention.

• On 2 June 2014, three Baha’is were arrested in Mashhad. Their names are May Kholousi, Dori Amri, and Shayan Tafazoli.

Following raids on 14 Baha’i homes in the Iranian city of Abadeh on 13 October 2013, government agents summoned the occupants for questioning and urged them to leave town or face possible deadly attacks from city residents. Agents from the Shiraz office of the Ministry of Intelligence, with agents from Abadeh, launched the raids at about 8 am on 13 October 2013. The homes were searched, and Baha’i books, CDs, computers, and other items, including photographs, were confiscated. During questioning, several Baha’is were told that local residents “don’t like you” and that “when you are on the street, they might attack you and your children with knives.” But all evidence says the hate is instigated by the Government; Abadeh residents have good relations with Baha’is.

Destruction of historic Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz

In April 2014, it was learned that elements of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had begun destruction of a historic Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz, apparently to make way for a new sports and cultural center. After the excavation of a large but shallow hole, demolition was halted for several months in the face of international pressure and the expression of outrage on the part of Iranians from all walks of life.

But in August 2014, reports emerged from Iran saying that the Revolutionary Guards had resumed construction on the site, removing human remains from some 30 to 50 graves and pouring a concrete foundation for the complex, which will reportedly include a library, mosque, restaurant, theatre, child care facility, and sports hall. The cemetery is the resting place of some 950 Baha’is, many of whom were historic or prominent figures in the Baha’i community of Iran. Interred at the site, for example, are ten Baha’i women whose cruel hanging in 1983 came to symbolize the government’s deadly persecution of Baha’is.

In September 2014, three high level UN human rights experts called for a halt to the cemetery’s destruction, a plea that has so far gone unheeded.

In addition to the demolition of the Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz, there have been in recent months other attacks. On 12 December 2013, the Baha’i cemetery in Sanandaj was partly destroyed. Reports from Iran say the morgue, where bodies are washed, along with the prayer room, a water tank, and the walls of the cemetery were destroyed, apparently as the result of a long-running government effort to confiscate the cemetery land and razed is buildings. In Semnan recently, attackers destroyed the Baha’i cemetery there in two stages. In October/November 2012, intruders demolished the morgue and in December 2012/January 2013, they covered all the graves 40 centimeters deep in dirt using bulldozers. The municipality whose bulldozers were used for this purpose denied knowledge of the incident and promised to repair the damage. In December 2012, the Baha’i cemetery in Yazd was vandalized.

Perscution in education

Baha’i school children at all levels continue to be monitored and slandered by administrators and teachers in schools. Secondary school students often face pressure and harassment, and some have been threatened with expulsion. Religious studies teachers are known to insult and ridicule Baha’i beliefs. In a few reported cases, when Baha’i students attempt to clarify matters at the request of their peers, they are summoned to the school authorities and threatened with expulsion if they continue to “teach” their Faith. Young Baha’is continue to be denied access to public and private colleges and universities in Iran as a matter of official policy, which requires that they be expelled if they manage to enroll and school authorities learn that they are Baha’is. Those working in support of the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), an ad hoc, volunteer effort of the Iranian Baha’i community to provide education for its young people, have been at various times arrested, harassed and imprisoned.

In September 2014, for example, Ms. Shadan Shirazi was blocked from entering university despite the fact that she placed 113th on national college entrance examinations. The story was widely reported and reveals a new tactic undertaken by the government, which is to deprive Baha’is of any document or paper that they can use to prove they were discriminated against because of their religion.

Other recent incidents of discrimination in education include the September 2014 expulsion of a Baha’i from Baharestan University in Esfahan and an August 2014 expulsion from Payame-Noor University.

Incitement to hatred

Over the years, thousands of pieces of anti-Baha’i propaganda have been disseminated in official or semi-official Iranian media. These include anti-Baha’i articles, videos, and webpages. A report, Inciting Hatred, covering a period from December 2009 through May 2011, documents the nature of these attacks. These attacks have not slowed or abated. From January 2014 through May 2015, the BIC documented more than 6,300 items of anti-Baha’i propaganda in Iran’s official or semi-official media.

Other forms of Persecution

Other forms of persecution faced by Iranian Baha’is include the monitoring of their bank accounts, movements, and activities; the denial of pensions or rightful inheritances; the intimidation of Muslims who associate with Baha’is; the denial of access to publishing or copying facilities for Baha’i literature; and the unlawful confiscation or destruction of Baha’i properties, including Baha’i holy places.

International reaction

Governments, organizations and individual supporters around the world are calling for the release of jailed Baha’i leaders and Baha’i educators, and an end to the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran.

In March 2015, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Ahmed Shaheed, the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, told the Human Rights Council that discrimination against minorities in Iran, including Baha’is, continues unabated.

In December 2014, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution expressing “deep concern” about serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations” in Iran. The six-page resolution listed the high frequency of executions, torture, restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression, the targeting of journalists, pervasive gender inequality, and religious discrimination – including against Iranian Baha’is – as among the Assembly’s concerns.

On 31 October 2014, governments repeatedly called attention to Iran’s lack of respect for religious freedom at Iran’s Universal Periodic Review in the Human Rights Council. Of the 291 recommendations made by 104 governments, 11 specifically mentioned the situation of Iranian Baha’is, calling on Iran to end discrimination against them.

In September 2014, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and human rights expert Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, both issued reports on human rights in Iran. Both expressed concern about the lack of progress, and both specifically discussed the ongoing persecution of Iranian Baha’is.

In September 2014, three high-level United Nations human rights experts called on Iran to halt the ongoing destruction of a historic Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz, Iran, saying the action is an “unacceptable” violation of freedom of religion. In a joint news release, Heiner Bielefeldt, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and Rita Izsak, the UN Independent Expert on minority issues, said they were “dismayed” at reports that demolition work had resumed in August.

In March 2014, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Ahmed Shaheed issued reports to the UN Human Rights Council stating that discrimination against Iranian Baha’is continues to persist in Iran. They cited continuing imprisonments, arbitrary arrests and detentions, ongoing exclusion from higher education, and hostility in the legal system. Read more…

In June 2013, the International Labor Organization expressed “deep concern” over continuing economic and educational discrimination against Baha’is in Iran. Read more…

In May 2013, four high-level United Nations human rights experts called on Iran to immediately release the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders. Read more…

Also in May 2013, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recommended that Iran ensure that all citizens, regardless of religious belief, enjoy full rights without any discrimination. The Committee specifically referred to the Baha’i community, expressing its concern that Iranian Baha’is face “widespread and entrenched discrimination, including denial of access to employment in the public sector, institutions of higher education, as well as to benefits of the pension system.” It recommended that Iran “take steps to ensure that members of the Baha’i community are protected against discrimination and exclusion in every field.” Read more…

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Concerned about increasing restrictions on religious freedom worldwide, parliamentarians from more than 50 countries have pledged to pursue efforts to strengthen and promote freedom of religion or belief in their work at the national, regional and global levels.

Meeting as the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFORB), some 100 national legislators also vowed in a resolution to enhance cooperation on the issue through expanded networks, information sharing, and stronger links to civil society, religious groups, and academia.

“It is necessary to work across borders because, often time, the challenges are of a transnational or regional nature,” said Aykan Erdemir, a former Turkish MP and a founding member of the IPPFORB, presenting the conclusions of a two-day meeting, held 18-19 September 2015.

“For example, we have raised the challenge of defending religious freedoms among internally displaced people and migrants, global migrants, and also minority populations. The flows of individuals across borders, whether of their own free will or because they are forced to, pose new challenges to states and non-governmental organizations,” said Dr. Erdemir.

The group also dispatched letters to government and parliamentary leaders in Iran, Myanmar and Vietnam, expressing particular concern about violations of religious freedoms in those countries.

In the letter to Iran, which was signed by 66 parliamentarians, the group called on Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani to intervene in the cases of the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders, imprisoned Christians, and other “prisoners of faith” to “ensure they are immediately released, that their human rights are respected, and that Iran lives up to its international obligations.”

The Baha’i International Community (BIC) gave support to the meeting by hosting a break-out session in its New York conference room.

“As the BIC said in a statement a decade ago, ‘The freedom to hold beliefs of one’s choosing and to change them is central to human development as it makes possible the individual’s search for meaning – a distinguishing impulse of the human conscience,’” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the BIC to the United Nations.

“As a worldwide religious community, which regards the human conscience as sacred and upholds the individual’s independent search for truth, we applaud such gatherings as these, which are searching for practical solutions about how humanity can increase the possibilities for all men and women to find such meaning in their lives,” said Ms. Dugal.

On Friday, parliamentarians heard that religious intolerance is on the rise around the globe.

Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations said humanity is facing the worse refugee crisis since World War II.

“Million have left their homes,” said Mr. Al-Nasser. “The situation is caused by wars, conflicts or ethnic cleansing. At the source of these historic conflicts, you will find one common thread: a lack of respect for differences of religion or belief.”

Ivan Šimonović, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights stressed the connection between freedom to believe and other fundamental human rights.

“Freedom of religion cannot exist if freedom of expression is not respected,” said Dr. Šimonović.  “Freedom of expression is essential in creating an environment in which constructive discussions about religious differences can be held.”

Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, said religious leaders must take responsibility for fighting religious intolerance. “Religious leaders often determine the attitudes of their respective communities,” he said. “If you find a society that is not respecting religious rights, the religious leaders have a responsibility to do something about that.”

The parliamentarians also heard from representatives of religious minorities who face persecution.

A panel on Saturday morning, for example, featured the wife of Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor currently imprisoned in Iran, and the nephew of Jamaloddin Khanjani, one of the seven imprisoned Iranian Baha’i leaders.

“Christians in Iran are living in fear of being arrested simply for gathering to read the Bible,” said Mrs. Nagemeh Abedini. “That’s why my husband was sentenced to eight years in prison.”

Siovash Khanjani said the entire family of his uncle had suffered not only unjust imprisonment for their beliefs but also economic deprivation. He described how the government has over many years destroyed the family’s 70 hectare farm, which had been a model of agricultural production, producing tons of apples and almonds in a desert region.

Recently, he said, Revolutionary Guards with government cooperation had filled in deep wells that provide irrigation for the farm, “rendering them totally useless” – “all because the owners were Baha’is.”

Noting that Baha’is are often imprisoned on charges of violating national security, he asked: “What national security purpose is served by the destruction of vast farmlands?”

In the break-out session held Friday afternoon at the offices of the Baha’i International Community, parliamentarians and representatives of civil society discussed how they can work together to promote religious freedom.

The keynote speaker there was Irfan Abubakar, director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Culture, which is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. He described efforts by his center to work with religious leaders and police commanders to help prevent religious violence and intolerance, which has occurred particularly between “hardliner” Sunni Muslims and minority Ahmadi Muslims.

Their focus, he said, was to pierce the misperception that he said many Muslims have that human rights is antithetical to Islam.

“They perceive human rights as an agenda to destroy Islamic culture and Islamic tradition,” said Dr. Abubakar. “So this prevents them from having a dialogue and to better understand human rights for their own needs. These two factors contribution to religious intolerance in Indonesia.”

The breakout session at the Baha’i offices also produced a set of recommendations, which called on parliamentarians, governments, and civil society to “act together in the spirit of the common good” to protect freedom of religion or belief. It also urged parliamentarians to “reform or repeal” national laws that violate standards of freedom of religion or belief.

The IPPFORB meeting was co-sponsored by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, with support from the German Mission to the UN, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and others.

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NEW YORK (AP) — A woman in a head scarf gazes piercingly from the side of a Brooklyn brownstone. A flock of spray-painted birds breaks free from shackles on a Manhattan building. A Harlem mural shows a giant teal gazelle against a black background, barren trees and a peacock feather.

They are among about a half-dozen murals painted around New York City and Jersey City, New Jersey, to draw attention to journalist Maziar Bahari’s campaign for press freedom and educational access in Iran, where he spent 118 days in a jail after an appearance on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Bahari, whose story was told in Stewart’s film “Rosewater,” hopes the art will attract the attention of diplomats attending the U.N. General Assembly and spark a conversation about human rights. He has founded a nonprofit group, Not A Crime, to focus on journalism and education for Iran’s largest religious minority, the Baha’i, a group that believes in one God and emphasizes that humans are equal and diversity should be cherished.

“We want to create a discourse in the city so when world leaders, different delegates come to New York in September, at least some of them will talk about the situation of the Baha’is in Iran, some of them will talk about the journalists in Iran,” Bahari said.

Bahari was working for Newsweek magazine in June 2009 when Iran’s Revolutionary Guards took him from his mother’s home in Tehran on espionage charges based on video of him joking with a “Daily Show” correspondent about being a spy. During four months in Tehran’s Evin prison, he was beaten, held in solitary confinement and suffered psychological torture, he said.

He was released on bail after four months and left the country. He later was sentenced in absentia to more than 13 years in prison on charges including spreading propaganda against Iran, collecting classified documents and insulting the supreme leader.

With more than 30 imprisoned journalists, Iran is second only to China in jailing reporters, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Cases like those of Bahari and Jason Rezaian — a Washington Post reporter held in Evin prison for over a year on espionage charges — have spotlighted the issue.

The Brooklyn mural is a likeness of Atena Farghadani, an artist and activist serving a 12-year sentence in Iran for creating a cartoon that criticized a law limiting women’s access to birth control. The mural, created by artist Faith47, shows her without a mouth.

Ron English is painting a large, official-looking warning suggesting that photography is not permitted.

Street art is a perfect vehicle for delivering such political messages, he said: “Everybody experiences it.”

Argentine artist Marina Zumi, who created the Harlem mural, said she hopes the work sparks conversations about social justice.

Passer-by Parris Douglas was drawn to the gazelle Zumi was painting.

“I feel like this is liberating,” he said after asking Zumi what prompted the mural. “It’s the fact we’re allowed to express how we feel with anyone saying or telling us what we can and can’t do.”

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Translation by Iran Press Watch

According to Baha’i News report, Armin Rahmani, a Baha’i citizen of Isfahan, after a successful attempt at the Iranian National University Entrance Exam, is accused of inadequate submission of relevant documentation.

This Baha’i citizen, who participated for the fifth time in the University Entrance Exam, because he is a Baha’i was confronted with the usual accusation, and for the fifth time he was denied access to continued education.

In his Facebook page Armin has written “in none of the stages of registration ‒ exam pass issuance, sitting for the actual exam and releasing the results ‒ there was any indication of inadequate documentation.”

The first Declaration of Universal Human Rights on December, 10^th, 1948 stipulates that all human beings irrespective of their race, colour, belief, religion and gender, are equal.

During recent years “lack of proper documention” for Baha’i students, with respect to the continuation of their studies in universities, has been equal to depriving them of further education; it appears the same trend continues this year as well.

Denial of higher education in Iranian universities is based on the declaration of February 25, 1991, approved by the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council, which in addition to denying Baha’is of employment in government offices, also bars Baha’i students from higher education.

According to the third article of this declaration, not only can Baha’is not register at any university as a student, but in any steps of the process of before and after registration, or even “during the academic year”, if it becomes clear that the applicant is a Baha’i they must be stopped and denied from continuing their education.

After the Islamic Revolution and this declaration of the Revolutionary Cultural Council, Baha’is have been systematically denied any access to higher education.

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Translation by Iran Press Watch

21 September 2015

According to the “No to the Persecution and Imprisonment of Baha’i Citizens” campaign, Huzan Gholizadeh, a Baha’i citizen of Sari who had successfully passed the entrance exams to the Agricultural Sciences University in Sari, was refused registration by the University authorities because of her religion.

She states, “After studying diligently for 12 years I graduated successfully, and with high hopes and aspirations participated in and passed the entrance exams in the field of agricultural engineering at the Agricultural and Natural Resources University of Sari.

On 14 September 2015, accompanied by my mother, with boundless joy and anticipation I went to the University with the requisite documents to register. After waiting my turn in line, my name was called and I was sent upstairs, unaccompanied, to the Security Office. There, I was given a form to fill out for insertion in my file. As usual, the form included a religion column. According to the principles I had been taught, in complete honesty and truthfulness I put down “Baha’i”.

When I handed the form back to the Director of Security, I detected a hesitant look on his face. He led me to another room and informed me in a cold voice that I did not qualify for higher education. What an insulting statement! I asked why was I not qualified? Do I have a moral or behavioral shortcoming that I am not aware of? He replied, you know very well that you cannot continue your education because you are a Baha’i. I asked, am I not an Iranian citizen? Do I not have any rights as a citizen? Why should I be deprived of higher education because of my beliefs? I have a citizen’s right to education.

After half an hour of waiting in another room they informed me that my application had been rejected by the National Educational Testing Organization and that I did not have the right to apply to the University. Go home!

Whatever my beliefs and ideology, as a human being, I wanted and continue to want to be of service to my beloved country by educating myself. Is it a crime to serve my countrymen? I know that my story is one among thousands of similar stories across Iran, but does the government of Iran think that these policies will extinguish my great desire and motivation for learning?

Every time you cut me down a new shoot grows out.

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Translation by Iran Press Watch

Tuesday, 15 September, 2015

This year 32 commercial establishments belonging to Baha’is in the city of Sari have been shut down and sealed by the Government for more than 1700 days.

HRANA News Agency – During the first six months of 2015, 32 commercial establishments belonging to Baha’is in the city of Sari have been shut down and sealed by the Office of Properties of this city  for more than 1789 days,  as of the publication date of this report. 

According to HRANA – the news organization of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the main reason for shutting down Baha’i commercial units in Sari is as follows:

–“Closure of the commercial unit during Baha’i holidays: 12 commercial units”

According to Article 26 of an amendment to the Trade Law of 2014, shop owners may close their commercial units for up to 15 days with no prior notice. According to paragraph 1 of this same article, the decision regarding whether a business closure is excused or not is up to the Trade Office, not the Office of Properties.  However the Baha’i business owners in Sari whose businesses have been shut down for this reason were asked to give written commitments to notify officials within the week prior to any closures due to Baha’i holidays, and in some cases they were asked to give a commitment to only close their business for Baha’i holidays, with prior permission from the Office of Properties.

–“Operating without a business permit: 6 commercial units”

–“Business permit owner not present:  6 commercial units”

Operating without a business permit, according to the Trade Law, does not lead to an immediate closure of the business.  The Trade Office has a duty to issue a warning upon becoming aware of a business’ lack of permit, but not to close the business at that point.

The following list is the names of those whose businesses have been shut down due to not having a business permit or business manager ID card, and their status quo has been left unchanged for a long time.  These individuals have gone to the Office of Properties for resolution over and over, but never received any answers. Finally, instead of receiving their permits or ID cards (the applications of these individuals were complete and did not lack any documentation), their businesses were shut down under the excuse of not having a business permit or an identification card.

–“Baha’is in Sari who were banned from wholesale transactions:  10 commercial units”

These sorts of financial hardships imposed on Baha’i’s are carried out according to an official document that the commander of the Islamic Republic’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) issued to all the LEF Offices of Properties Branch, on March of 2007.  In this document the identification and monitoring of Baha’is was ordered with the intention to control, marginalize, and oversee the actions of all Baha’is.   Preventing Baha’is from professional advancement and the comforts of life were also clear goals of the instructions issued by the Islamic Republic LEF commander.

1. Name of the business owner:  Akbar Hosseini / Type of business: Lumber sales / Date of closure: 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Lack of business permit / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Commit to retail sales or change profession.
2. Name of the business owner: Farzin Movafaghi / Type of business: Hardware store / Date of closure: February, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Lack of business permit / Duration of the closure: 7 days / Comments: Commit to acquire permit.
3. Name of the business owner:  Zatollah Darabi / Type of business: Carpentry / Date of closure: February, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: There was a door from the business that opened to the personal residence from one side. / Duration of the closure: 7 days / Comments: It was requested that the door be replaced by a solid wall.
4. Name of the business owner:  Sohrab Zahedi / Type of business: Office supplies sales / Date of closure: 24 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Baha’is should not own wholesale businesses / Duration of the closure: 87 days / Comments: Storage is still sealed shut.
5. Name of the business owner:  Arash Sedghi / Type of business: Disposable supplies / Date of closure: 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Due to the business permit holder not present in the store. / Duration of the closure: 14 days / Comments: Commit to acquire Store management identification card.
6. Name of the business owner:  Pedram Ghanbari / Type of business: Disposable supplies / Date of closure: 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Lack of business permit / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Commit to acquire a permit.
7. Name of the business owner:  Ghobad Zahedi / Type of business: Office supplies sales / Date of closure: 23 February, 2015 and 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: 1^st instance – Business permit holder not in the store. 2^nd instance – Baha’is in Sari are banned from wholesale business / Duration of the closure: 7 days / Comments: Commit to get a management ID card; Storage is still sealed shut.
8. Name of the business owner:  Safa Teimouri / Type of business: Lumber sales / Date of closure: 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Lack of business permit / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Commit to reduce sales activities and acquire a permit.
9. Name of the business owner:  Nima and Soheil Mahinbakht / Type of business: Security cameras and intruder alarms / Date of closure: 25 December, 2015 and 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: 1^st instance – Business permit holder was not in the store. 2^nd instance was concurrent with the shutting down of the storage as well – Baha’is in Sari are banned from owning wholesale businesses / Duration of the closure: 14 days store, 7 days store, 78 days the Storage / Comments: This line of business is among the businesses that is banned for Baha’is (the storage is still sealed shut.)
10. Name of the business owner:  Omid Ghanbari / Type of business: Sales of mobile phones / Date of closure: 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Business permit holder not in the store. This line of business is among the businesses which are banned for Baha’is. Duration of the closure: 20 days and 129 days / Comments: This is among the businesses that are banned for Baha’is (He continues to be banned from any business activity, and was forced to transfer his business to others.)
11. Name of the business owner:  Bahram Gholinejad / Type of business: Sales stand / Date of closure: February 2015 and 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Could not acquire a permit due to being a Baha’i, refusal to collaborate with the Intelligence and Security Officials; destruction of his stand after ten years of business activity / Duration of the closure: 179 days / Comments: This is among the businesses that are banned for Baha’is (He continues to be banned from any business activity, and was forced to transfer his business to others.)
12. Name of the business owner:  Mehran Kamali / Type of business: Electronic wiring / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations requires one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
13. Name of the business owner:  Mohammad ali Cheramin / Type of business: Disposable plates / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations requires one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
14. Name of the business owner:  Ziaollah Khoshbin / Type of business: Paint store / Date of closure: 22 March, 2015 and 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Business permit holder not in the store, and Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country, and Baha’is should not own wholesale businesses. / Duration of the closure: 27 days, and 76 days for the wholesale storage. / Comments: Closing Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
15. Name of the business owner:  Ehsanollah Sana’i / Type of business: Sales of health and sanitary supplies / Date of closure: March, 2015 and 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Business permit holder not in the store, and Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 27 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
16. Name of the business owner:  Farshad Bagha’i / Type of business: Refrigerator repairs / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure:  Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 7 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
17. Name of the business owner:  Kamal Akbari / Type of business: Wood working / Date of closure:   24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure:  Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 115 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.  Letter to allow the breaking of the seal has been issued twice by the Trade Office; however the Office of Properties Special Section blocked both orders.
18. Name of the business owner:  Ghavameldhin Sabetian  / Type of business: Carpentry / Date of closure: 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: One of the store doors opened to the entryway of the residential home. / Duration of the closure: 149 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.
19. Name of the business owner:  Aramesh Zohouri / Type of business: Clothing store / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
20. Name of the business owner:  Vahab Darabi / Type of business: Clothing store / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
21. Name of the business owner:  Saeed Goli / Type of business: Clothing store / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
22. Name of the business owner:  Taraneh Zahedi / Type of business: Clothing store / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
23. Name of the business owner:  Vargha Rouhani / Type of business:  Herbal medicine / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 20 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
24. Name of the business owner:  Ehsan Izadi / Type of business: Health and sanitary supplies / Date of closure: 24 May, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business on a Baha’i holiday which is not one of the official closing days of the country. / Duration of the closure: 7 days / Comments: Closing of Baha’i locations require one week prior notice to the Office of Properties.
25. Name of the business owner:  Ali Jazbani / Type of business: Carpentry / Date of closure: 22 March, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Lack of a permit. / Duration of the closure: 149 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.
26. Name of the business owner:  Yaghub Akbari / Type of business: Household goods / Date of closure: 01 Juy, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Closure of business was concurrent with closure of the storage unit of his business partner. / Duration of the closure: 15 days / Comments: None
27. Name of the business owner:  Payam Taghva’i / Type of business: Accessory equipment for cooler system/ Date of closure: 30 June, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Baha’is are banned from owning wholesale businesses. / Duration of the closure: 78 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.
28. Name of the business owner:  Sohrab Zahedi / Type of business: Office supplies / Date of closure: 1 July, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Baha’is are banned from owning wholesale businesses.  / Duration of the closure: 78 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.
29. Name of the business owner:  Ghobad Zahedi / Type of business: Clothing store / Date of closure: 1 July, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Baha’is are banned from owning wholesale businesses.  / Duration of the closure: 78 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.
30. Name of the business owner:  Arman Safa’i / Type of business: Clothing store / Date of closure: 1 July, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Baha’is are banned from owning wholesale businesses.  / Duration of the closure: 78 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.  Letter to allow the breaking of the seal was issued by the Trade Office; however the Special Section of Office of Properties blocked the order.
31. Name of the business owner:  Shahab Nobakht / Type of business: Lace materials / Date of closure: 3 July, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Baha’is are banned from owning wholesale businesses.  / Duration of the closure: 78 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.
32. Name of the business owner:  Vedad Derakhshan / Type of business: Distribution of supermarket items / Date of closure: 26 June, 2015 / Excuse for the closure: Baha’is are banned from owning wholesale businesses.  / Duration of the closure: 78 days / Comments: Continues to be shut down.

by

BY INU staff

INU - The autumn session of the UN Human Rights Council was opened on Monday and is scheduled to continue until the first week of October. Some Iranian human rights defenders are using this occasion as an opportunity to recall attention to a variety of ongoing and systemic human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic. A handful of stories have already emerged in service of this project this week, beginning with the news of the possible assassination in prison of labor rights activist Shahrokh Zamani.

The violent treatment of activists also recalls attention to the criminalization of honest social and political reporting in the country. Journalists too have been subject to the sorts of abuse that apparently killed Zamani. Demonstrating this fact,IranWire and its sister site Journalism is Not a Crime both reported upon the conclusion of a study by a University of Toronto psychiatry professor, which found that about 60 percent of the Iranian journalists interviewed for the study had been arrested at some point. About 20 percent had been subjected to torture.

Adding to the testimony of this study, IranWire interviewed David Oehlenschlaeger, the director of rehabilitation at DIGNITY, a facility that specializes in trauma rehabilitation for victims of torture. He noted that one of the largest groups they deal with is comprised of people who have been tortured by the Iranian regime.

Both reports also detailed how the experience of torture has contributed to many instances of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among members of the Iranian diaspora. It has also discouraged people from continuing in the journalism profession or at least from keeping on with particular projects, in order to safeguard either their own lives or those of their family. Nearly 80 percent or participants in the study reported that their work had been halted by the regime’s repression, and half of all participants said that threats had not been limited to them but had included their families.

In light of all these statistics, one could say that journalists collectively comprise a significant underclass of Iranian society that is subject to systematic abuse and repression in much the same way as ethnic and religious minorities. Human rights groups have continually reported on the plight of Iranians who maintain faiths other than Shiite Islam. Of these, the followers of faiths that originated in the area of Iran are targeted with particular aggression, and the most prominent of these is the Baha’i faith.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency reiterated one aspect of this abuse on Sunday, namely the barring of Baha’i students from access to higher education and gainful employment. HRANA reports that ahead of the current academic year, a number of applications from Baha’i students have been denied via a message that simply declares their files to be “incomplete.”

There is no recourse for protesting such arbitrary rejections, and local Baha’is along with human rights organizations have made efforts to provide students with an alternative course of education outside of the official Iranian system. But these efforts too have been attacked by the Iranian authorities, who raided an closed down the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education several times since its opening in 1987.

While these types of repression have been relentless, the Baha’i comprise only a small portion of the Iranian population. Much larger minorities are also subject to coordinated repression, with the largest of these certainly being the population of women. The latest example of this come in the form of women’s soccer player Nilufar Ardalan, whose name was recently removed from the roster for the Iranian national indoor soccer team, after it was determined that she would not be able to travel for games.

At issue is the fact that Iranian law requires women to get permission from their husbands before either applying for or renewing a passport. And since Ardalan’s passport expired, her husband refuses to allow her to leave the country, citing the claim that she is needed at home at a time when their son is beginning school.

IranWire interviewed Laleh Eftekhari, a member of the Iranian parliament’s women’s caucus, over this story. But when they raised the question of changing the law, they were rebuffed and Eftekhari declared such denials of the legal autonomy of women to be requirements of sharia law.

It has previously been emphasized by women’s rights groups that despite the technical presence of a women’s caucus, women lack representation in Iranian government, as female parliamentarians are limited to persons with strict conservative views on religion and family, like Eftekhari.

By contrast, many victims of organized repression have been known to speak out, and Ardalan now appears to be one of them. She has decided to go public with her story and her refutations of her husband’s statements. Social media in particular is becoming an outlet for her views and those of her supporters, much as it has been for women’s rights activists in the past.

But this too highlights aspects of Tehran’s repressive measures, since activists in general and women’s rights activists in particular have been subject to harsh reprisals and prosecution as a result of their online activities. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter remain technically banned throughout the Islamic Republic, although many citizens work around these blocks. Those who do are in danger of being charged with spreading propaganda or insulting Iranian officials if they make critical posts. Four new such arrests were announced by the judiciary on August 30.

And now, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reports that the office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has taken measures to consolidate power for the enforcement of internet restrictions and the enforcement of internet-based “crimes.” Khamenei reportedly ordered all decisions on internet policy to be handled by the Supreme Cyberspace Council, which answers directly to him, thus circumventing all lower federal and regional authorities.

The International Campaign points out that Iran is second only to China in the number of websites that its government blocks. And it is entirely possible that this situation will worse in light of the latest news, which was accompanied by announcement of new posts to the Supreme Cyberspace Council, including two individuals who are listed as violators of human rights by both the US and the EU.

by

Last week, a delegation of Egyptian Baha’is met with Amr Moussa, chairman of the Committee of 50, a constitutional body tasked with drafting Egypt’s new constitutional amendments and articulating desired constitutional principles, to discuss with him the Egyptian Baha’is concerns regarding the new constitution. According to Al Dostor, the meeting included Dr. Basma Moussa, a prominent Egyptian human rights activist; Dr. Rauf Hindi, an Egyptian Baha’i; Labib Hanna, a spokesperson for Egyptian Baha’is; and Sawsan Hosny, a university professor.

In the space of an hour and a half, the representatives related their hopes for a constitution that recognized Baha’i rights as equal to those of every Egyptian citizen — Muslim, Christian, Jewish or of any other faith. They stressed the importance of a constitution that did not discriminate based on “color, gender or creed”. Among their other requests:

Laws that protected the rights of Baha’i citizens to be issued identity papers. In the past, identity cards were only issued to people of faiths recognized by the state — Muslims, Jews and Christians. In 2008, Rauf Hindi, one of the representatives present at the meeting, won a court case which allowed Baha’is to apply for identity cards as long as they leave the religion field black. The state still does not recognize the Baha’i faith as a legitimate religion.

Laws to criminalize discrimination against minorities. They also requested that an independent body be allowed to monitor cases of minority discrimination.

Disassociation of the Baha’i faith with “Satanism” or other pagan religions. A popular misconception of the Baha’i faith mischaracterizes it as “Satanic”l these popular misconceptions are often perpetuated by state officials and underly much of hostility towards Baha’is in Egypt.

Participation of Egyptian Baha’is in international conferences on world religions and participation in global development programs. 

Regarding Article 3 of the Proposed Constitution, which allows for the personal matters of Jewish and Christian Egyptians to be facilitated under their respective religious jurisprudences, Dr. Rauf expressed concerns that it would not sufficiently protect the rights of Baha’is. He stressed the importance of a constitution that provided human rights protections for all.

Baha’is in Egypt have historically been the target of state persecution and discrimination — dating back to the regime of Gamal Abdul Nasser, who (problematically) associated the Baha’i faith with the state of Israel. Without consideration of Baha’i rights in the new constitution, Egypt will have come short on its commitment to democratic ideals. This meeting may either be part of an effort to effectively institute those ideals or it may be an empty gesture to appease the Baha’i community. Time — and a new constitution — will tell.

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Section 209 from SECTION 209 on Vimeo.

Farnaz, a Baha’i filmmaker from Australia, has released her short film on Baha’i prisoners in Iran, “Section 209″, online. The film, based on a true story, depicts the detainment and interrogation of Ali Muhammad Sabeti:

Ali is arrested held captive in Koohsangi Political Prison in Mashad. Two interrogators enter, Short Interrogator and Tall Interrogator, and systematically interview Ali. They attempt various negotiation methods to convince Ali to either write that he has converted to Islam, or to face execution. Their interrogation is documented and reported to a high-ranking Mullah, Haji Agha.

Ali refuses to convert and subsequently, is brutally tortured to the point of blindness. Bruised and bleeding from repeated blows, his bones are broken and his skin lashed apart.

Farnaz, who must withhold her family name out of fear of repercussions from the regime, decided to create the film after the arrest and imprisonment of the seven Baha’i leaders who were sentenced to 20 years on charges of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic state, cooperation with Israel, among other accusations routinely leveled against Iranian Baha’is. The seven had been originally detained in Section 209 before being transferred to Raja’i Shahr prison.

“I made this film so I could reveal the inhumane tactics used in Iran to persecute Baha’is and pressure them to convert to Islam,” said Farnaz in a statement to the press.

She decided to release the film online in light of escalating violence and persection against Baha’is. She hopes that the film will galvanize emotional sentiment in support of religious reform in Iran.

“When people become emotionally connected to a story, they are more likely to support a movement for social change,” she said.

The film’s title, “Section 209″, refers to a once-secret facility in Tehran’s Evin Prison — a “prison within a prison” under the control of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry that operates outside the purview of the state prison authority. Political prisoners are often taken to Section 209 for aggressive interrogations and detained there in solitary confinement in attempts to force confessions or, in the case of Baha’is, force conversions to Islam. Some former inmates of Section 209 recount stories of physical and psychological torture, some of which was so brutal it compelled the prisoners to suicide. They are often held there for several months without being charged or put on trial. Because there is no formal documentation of the facility, much of what occurs there is only verified by witness statements and and accounts.

Related posts:

1. “Identity Crisis” Film available for download The Baha’i Faith in Egypt reports that “Identity Crisis” is...
2. Prisoners In Profile: Azizollah Samandari, BIHE Teacher Last week, Aziz Samandari, a 40-year old professor from Tehran,...
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Last month, the Baha’i community was shook to the core by the loss of Ataollah Razvani, a 54-year old Baha’i from Bandar Abbas in Iran. According to various reports by Iranian news agencies and Baha’i watch groups, Rezvani was kidnapped on a Saturday evening in August and shot in the head. His body was found by police, who informed his family members the next afternoon. Rezvani’s son, Koorosh, told Rooz Online of his family’s ordeal:

“[Rezvani] went out at 9 in the evening; he was expected to return home, but when he did not we became concerned and began to enquire at hospitals, police stations and wherever we could think of. Finally, as we were in the process of reporting him missing, we received a call from the Criminal Police. They said, ‘Your father has been found; he is dead. He was found on a road leading out of town; he has been shot in the back of the head.’ His body is still at the Coroner’s; they have not delivered him to us.”

There is yet to be an arrest in his case, but it appears more and more likely that his murder was religiously motivated. Revzani was a prominent Baha’i in his community; consequently, he was often the target of threats from the Ministry of Intelligence and the local Friday Prayer leader, who used inflammatory speech against Baha’is in his sermons. Radio Zamaneh reported that the leader delivered a sermon of this very nature right before Rezvani’s murder, calling for heightened vigilance over Baha’is in the community. Such fear-mongering is often rooted in nationalist rhetoric that constructs Baha’is as foreign agents or religious deviants. Additionally, Rezvani often encountered hostility from government officials in his work installing water purification systems. His cousin, Navid Aghdassi, told Rooz Online that he government officials harassed Rezvani and deliberately made his work more difficult:

“For instance, the department in charge of public places used to hound him and Intelligence agents would create complications in his business. He was one of the most qualified people in the field of water purification and installations. One of his business partners was a Muslim. The Intelligence Department instructed the Hormozgan Department of Water Affairs not to work with them, and their whole business depended on this department. Later, he opened an optometry shop with another partner. Again, Intelligence created obstacles with the aid of the department in charge of public places. They threatened his son and his partner. They would criticize him to other Baha’is who were summoned for questioning, and would tell them to put pressure on him or to sever relations with him.

According to BBC Persia, Rezvani was also a former member of  the “Khadimin” of Bandar Abbas, “a Baha’i committee in charge of the affairs of the community in the city”. In his youth, he was a student of mechanical engineering at the University of Science and Technology before he was expelled during the Cultural Revolution of the early ’80s. According to Zachary M. Heern at YourMiddleEast, of all of Rezvani’s possessions — wallet, money, IDs, or even his car — the assailant(s) only took his cell phone.

“Rezvani was constantly helping those in need, whether it was caring for hospital patients in Bandar Abbas or driving to the opposite end of the country to help his niece and nephew after both parents were imprisoned for being Baha’is,” writes Heern. “Reports about Rezvani’s funeral indicate that people traveled from far and wide to attend his memorial service, which lasted until 2 a.m.”

The regime may deny any kind of systematic prejudice or discrimination against Baha’is, and yet Rezvani’s murder reflects an increasingly hostile and violent socio-political climate in Iran for anyone who claims membership to the faith. In an interview with IranWire, Dr.  Farhad Sabetan, the spokesperson for the Baha’i International Community, said that Rezvani is only one of nine other Baha’is in Iran murdered under suspicious circumstances that resemble those of religious hate crimes. There are, he said, at least 52 reported cases of Baha’is being physically assaulted. These cases are often swept under the rug of police inquiry, for one or two reasons: 1) that government agents are somehow involved in the attack, and 2) that the police are unconcerned with solving the cases of Baha’i victims. Religiously motivated violence against Baha’is is implicitly condoned or ignored by the police and the Iranian legal system.

“In this specific case, our follow-up indicates that Mr. Rezvani’s family are trying to reach a fair and transparent process for the case through the help of responsible organizations,” said Dr. Sabetan. “That their efforts have been fruitless is nothing new or strange.”

There were hopes that the election of Hassan Rouhani, heralded as a “moderate” and “reformer” by both Iranian and Western media, would change the direction of the tide for religious minorities in Iran. These hopes were dashed when Ayatollah Khamenei issued an edict warning Iranians of association with Baha’is a few days before Rohani assumed office. This is only the latest in a series of laws deigned to restrict and control the existence of Baha’is in Iran — and Rezvani is only the latest victim of a culture of fear and disenfranchisement cultivated by these laws and the system of persecution for which they provide the framework.

One auspicious result of Rezvani’s death has been the response and support of Ayatollah Masumi Tehrani, a dissident Shi’a cleric who posted a statement of support on his website. He wrote, “I hope that one day in this country Shias, Sunnis, Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, Bahá’ís and even atheists have equal rights and are accorded the same respect. It is in such a society that talents flourish and the country is strengthened. Thankfully this positive development is spreading in Iranian society, and it is becoming institutionalized. Hopefully this trend will continue.”

Related posts:

1. Ataollah Rezvani Reportedly Killed in Southern Iran Radio Zamaneh is reporting that Ataollah Rezvani, a 52-year Baha’i...
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3. “In court I will defend the Bahais” Following the baseless accusations thrown by Tehran’s deputy prosecutor, in...

Around 48 political prisoners incarcerated in Raja’i Shahr Prison released a letter this week demanding an investigation into the death of Ataollah Rezvani and prosecution of his killers. Rezvani, a 52-year Baha’i and social activist from Iran, was kidnapped and then killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas last month after a local imam made statements calling his followers to be wary of their Baha’i counterparts. There is reason to believe his death was motivated by religious bigotry – as an expert in water filtration, Rezvani routinely received threats from local officials attempting to hinder his work. His death has angered Baha’is all over the world — it recalled a history of persecution of Baha’is in Iran that persists to the present.

The letter, which includes such notable signatories as Navid Khanjani and Azizollah Samandari, mourns the death of Revzani and briefly mentions Iran’s increasing hostility towards Baha’is:

Considering the history of repeated death threats to the deceased, and the frequency and span of arrests and summons of the members of the Baha’i community, and the similarity and recurrence of such atrocities, which too often have led to loss of life or serious physical impairment, in recent years, we, a number of prisoners of conscience in the Rajai Shahr prison, condemn this vicious act and demand the immediate investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of this incident and those who ordered it in a fair court of law.

Such a horrible event creates an atmosphere of insecurity among fellow members of Iran’s Baha’i community as well as other minority groups. Prompt and unbiased investigation into this matter that may ensure the safety and welfare of the people of Iran should be given high priority.

Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights* [to which Iran is a signatory], and as stipulated in the Iranian constitution**, all citizens have equal rights, and the government is responsible for protecting their personal, financial, and social safety.

According to the nineteenth and twentieth articles of our constitution, the people of Iran, regardless of their ethnicity and nationality, are equal; colour, race, language, and other distinctions may not bestow any privilege, and all citizens, both women and men, are subject to the rule of law…

According to the aforementioned standards, we the undersigned demand that the rights of all citizens, regardless of differing beliefs, be preserved, and that all citizens be treated equally and without any discrimination.

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News

Iran: A Baha’i shot dead in Bandar Abbas (NCR- Iran – Aug 27th)

NCR-Iran reports on the death of Ataollah Rezvani, a Baha’i in Iran: “According to reports, on the night of the incident, he was returning from a party. His murderers who were waiting for him in his car took him to the Railroad Street where shot him in the head. Residents in cars passing by found Rezavini’s body while nothing had been stolen from his car.” The article notes that other members of Rezvani’s family have also been arrested for their Baha’i faith.

Murder of Mr. Ataollah Rezvani was religiously motivated (Baha’i World News Service – Aug 27th)

More information has emerged on the mysterious killing of Iranian Baha’i Ataollah Rezvani, whose body was found in Bandar Abbas. According to Baha’i World News Service, “It is understood that Mr. Rezvani was shot in the back of his head and that his body was found in his car near the railway station on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas, the city where he resided with his family. Information received thus far points to the possibility that his assailants had forced him to drive to that location. His body was discovered following a search when he failed to return home.” During his life and work as a water purificstion expert, Rezvani often recieved threats from local officials and intelligence agents.

Opinion

Ali Mamouri: Khamenei’s Controversial Fatwas (Al-Monitor – Aug 18)

“In another section of these fatwas, a hostile view is adopted toward Iran’s Baha’i community, wherein any association with them has been deemed unlawful, and the Baha’i faith has been labeled false and misguiding. A number of Iran’s Baha’i followers are in prison, their only crime being a follower of this religion. Some have even been executed for the same crime in the past.

These fatwas of Khamenei have been issued as other Shiite authorities, in the hope of eliminating prejudice against the Baha’i community, have recently issued humanitarian and tolerant fatwas regarding the Baha’i. Also, a short while before Khamenei’s fatwa was issued, Mohammad Nourizad — one of the best known figures of the Green Movement —  visited an Iranian Baha’i household. By kissing the foot of a Baha’i child, Nourizad apologized for the long history of cruelty toward them. The parents of this child are Baha’i prisoners of conscience.”

 Winston Nagan: A chance for change in Iran (The Washington Post – Aug 21st)

“Religious freedom may be the most important front in the struggle for human rights in Iran, for it is the freedom that most deeply challenges the regime’s vision for an ideologically homogenous theocracy.  Each of these lawyers defended religious minorities, and Ebadi, Soltani, Sotoudeh, and Parakand defended members of the Bahá’í Faith, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority. Baha’is have been a favorite target of the regime and are routinely arrested and imprisoned. Since January 2011, the number of Bahá’ís in prison has doubled, from roughly 56 to 112, and the number awaiting trial, appeal, sentencing, or the commencement of their sentences increased from roughly 230 to 435.”

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Radio Zamaneh is reporting that Ataollah Rezvani, a 52-year Baha’i and social activist from Iran, was killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday. After being kidnapped, he was found shot in the head. Rezvani was a student of mechanical engineering at the University of Science and Technology before he was expelled from the school during the Cultural Revolution.

His death comes after a local Friday prayer leader allegedly made inflammatory remarks calling for increased vigilance over Baha’is in the city. A member of Rezvani’s family reportedly announced his killing over the radio, saying that Rezvani had received several threats against his life and family from intelligence officials very recently.

Just this April, another Baha’i from Bandar Abbas, Babak Zeynali, was arrested after officials raided and searched his home.

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When does a one-year old deserve to serve time in prison? It’s a puzzling question that only makes sense within the context of Iran’s persecutory and often bizarre legal system & the government’s persecution of Iranian Baha’is. In April 2013, Baha’i mother Elham Ruzbehi reported to Senman Prison with her daughter of one year in her arms. She was there to serve a a two-year sentence on charges of “collusion and assembly against national security” and “propaganda against the regime”. Prison officials checked her daughter in with her.

Ruzbehi had been arrested almost two years prior to her imprisonment. In February 2011, security officials that day had conducted a series of arrests of several Baha’i mothers, including Zohreh Nikayin/Tebyanian and Taraneh Nik-Aein/Torabian. Their homes were raided, their personal belongings confiscated, and they were taken into custody. Two months later, after being released, Ruzbehi was arrested once more — this time she was pregnant. The original sentence was 3 years, but she was able to get the sentence reduced to 2 in appeals court.

Like most Baha’is imprisoned in Iran, the charges were based on little more than xenophobic depictions of Baha’is as insidious foreigners, conspiring with state enemies against the government of Iran (and, by extension, Islam). Baha’i mothers & children are not spared these children are not spared these accusations.

If this seems unusual, it’s not. In fact, the Iranian government has made a nasty habit of imprisoning Baha’i mothers with their infants. Ruzbehi is only one among at least four Baha’i mothers who were forced to share a cell with their children; at least two of those mothers, Zohreh Nikayin/Tebyanian and Taraneh Torabi/Ehsani, who were arrested the same day as Ruzbehi, are still imprisoned with their children. And the conditions in Senman Prison are no better for these mothers, wrote Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian, a professor of medicine at McGill University, in a recent blogpost for Common Ground Group: “Because of limited space for so many women, some of the Baha’is sleep on the floor, which, for those with babies, is unsafe and intolerable,” he wrote, ”And what is happening to the Baha’i and other women prisoners is not unique to Semnan. It also occurs in other Iranian cities.”

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News

ILO expresses concern over economic repression of Iranian Baha’is (Baha’i World News Service – Aug 1st)

The International Labor Organization released a statement this month expressing “deep concern” over the persecution of Iranian Baha’is after a report they released in June revealed that the situation of Baha’is in Iran has only worsened in recent years. After interviewing workers, employers and government representatives, ILO “urged the Government [of Iran] to take decisive action to combat discrimination against ethnic minorities and unrecognized religious minorities, in particular, the Baha’is” in its report.

Sentences of the Khalusi sisters go to review (Sen’s Daily – Aug 8th)

Nika and Nava Khalusi, who were charged in May for “membership of the Bahai organisation, participation in illegal Bahai activities, and propaganda in favour of the Bahais and against the regime of the Islamic Republic” and sentenced six years & four and a half years in prison, respectively, will have their cases go under review this month. Their files were sent to review court on August 7.

Siamak Iqani released (Sen’s Daily – Aug 9th)

The family of Siamek Iqani welcomed him home after the Baha’i from Senman served a three-year sentence in a Senman prison for “propaganda against the regime and Baha’i propaganda”. While in prison, Iqani suffered crippling respiratory attacks which put his life at risk and forced the authorities to grant him a 10-day furlough. Unfortunately, his wife, Anisa Fana’eyan, will not be home to greet him, as she was recently imprisoned as well, to serve a 22-month sentence for “adherence to and teaching the Baha’i Faith”. The husband and wife have two children who were taken away upon Fana’eyan’s imprisonment.

Saeid Rezaie transferred back to prison from hospital despite needing aftercare (HRIRAN – Aug 9th)

Saeid Rezaie was hospitalized only two weeks ago for a gastronomical disorder, but authorities are already transferring him back to Raja’i Shahr prison. Rezaie, who is one seven Baha’i leaders sentenced to 20 years, recently underwent heart surgery and doctors ordered one month of post-operation care — which has been cut short by his return to prison.

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3. Baha’i Rights Media Round-Up: Week of May 27th, 2013 News  Two Bahai aid workers sentenced to five months (Sen’s Daily...

News 

Political prisoner: 110 Baha’i detainees in various parts of Iran (Iran Daily Brief – Jul 29th)

Bahman Ahmadi-Amu’i, a journalist and political prisoner serving his sentence Raja’i Shahr Prison, released a statement last week calculating the number of Baha’is imprisoned in Iranian prisons at 110. Ahmadi-Amu’i wrote in the letter that he hopes Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, will explore the possibility of setting all the prisoners free.

One arrest in Qorveh (Sen’s Daily – Jul 29th)

Security agents arrived at the workplace of Behnam Eqdamian, a Baha’i from Qorveh, where they arrested him and transferred him to a Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Sanandaj. Officials have not yet released any information about his arrest. Earlier this year, Eqdamian’s home was searched in a wave of raids in Qorveh.

 A Note from Navid Khanjani for the 80th Birthday of Prison Mate Jamaloddin Khanjani (Persian2English – Jul 31st)

Human rights activist and journalist Navid Khanjani, who the Muslim Alliance for Baha’i Rights profiled last week, wrote a birthday letter from prison to Jamaloddin Khanjani, one of seven Baha’i leaders sentenced to 20 years in prison. Jamaloddin Khanjani turned 80 years while serving his time in Raja’i Shahr Prison. Navid wrote:

“Sometimes, when [a prisoner is in the presence of someone like Jamaloddin Khanjani]– who patiently lives [each day], doesn’t frown upon harsh prison conditions, and still holds hope for the future– they get embarrassed for feeling tired or frustrated.  [Jamaloddin Khanjani] has spent a total of 20 years in prison, and he’s still standing like a mountain.

I only ask God for [Jamaloddin Khanjani’s] health and to not take [him,] our support away from us. I pray for the day that we could [celebrate] his birthday with the both of us released– the day when a person is no longer imprisoned for their beliefs.”

Iraq’s Baha’is Continue to Face Persecution, Social Exclusion (Al-Monitor – Aug 1st)

Journalist Ali Mamouri explores the situation of Baha’is, detailing their history in the country and the extent of their persecution. As in Iran and Egypt, the Baha’i faith is banned in Iraq and Baha’is are prohibited from listing their faith on their civil records. Their religious sites are targeted by extremists, and they’re often subject to harsh interrogations and arbitrary arrests.

Samim Zara’i free on bail (Sen’s Daily – Aug 2nd)

 Zara’i, a Baha’i from Sanandaj who was arrested in early July, has been freed on a bail set at 200 million tumans (123,000 euros, $US 162,000).

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Only days before Iranian president-elect Hassan Rouhani is slated to take his elected position, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued yet another edict against Iranians of the Baha’i faith, according to the AP:

Iran’s supreme leader is urging Iranians to avoid all dealings with members of the banned Baha’i sect in a possible prelude to further crackdowns on the minority.

Iran already bans the Baha’i, a religion founded in the 1860s by a Persian nobleman considered a prophet by followers. Muslims consider Muhammad the final prophet.

The fatwa, or religious edict, by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is his latest against the group. It supports similar fatwas in the past by other clerics.

An Iranian news website, Tasnim, reported Wednesday that Khamenei called the Baha’i “deviant and misleading.”

The timing of Khamenei’s latest attack on Baha’i rights is certainly suspect. As mainstream media has heralded Rouhani’s impending presidency as a harbinger of change in Iran, Khamenei may use this moment as a way to reassert his power as “Supreme Leader”. The message is clear: if anything is going to change after Rouhani takes his place as president, it’s not going to be much better than the status quo. At least, not for Baha’is, who may have to tread more carefully this week. If anything at all, this latest development, while more of the same, is likely a precursor to further arrests.

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