Friday , 29 March 2024

2021 USCIRF Releases New Report on Iran’s Escalation of Religious Repression

Shabtabnews – USCIRF today released the following new country update highlighting the government of Iran’s escalation of religious repression in 2021:

Iran Country Update provides information about religious freedom conditions in Iran. It documents recent religious freedom violations against Baha’is, Christians, Sunnis, Sufis, and Yarsanis. The report notes two recent amendments to Iran’s Penal Code, making it easier for the government to target religious minorities. It also discusses violations of religious freedom targeting women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) community. Finally, it highlights the cases of USCIRF religious prisoners of conscience Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee

In its 2021 Annual Report USCIRF recommended that the U.S State Department designate Iran as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its ongoing, systematic, and egregious religious freedom violations.

The government of Iran has continued its egregious repression of religious minorities in the first half of 2021. On February 18, then-President Hassan Rouhani signed two alarming amendments to Articles 499 and 500 of the Penal Code passed in January 2021 by Iran’s parliament. The amendment to Article 499 imposes prison sentences and fines on anyone who insults “divine religions or Islamic schools of thought recognized under the Constitutions with the intent to cause violence or tensions in the society.”

For full report see below link:

https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2021-08/2021%20Iran%20Country%20Update.pdf

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