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Iranwire – Last month, the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee passed a resolution condemning the Islamic Republic’s human rights record.
The resolution, which received 77 votes in favor, 28 against, and 66 abstentions, urges the Iranian government to amend Articles 499 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code. These provisions criminalize the religious activities of non-Muslims, subjecting both official and unofficial religious minorities, such as the Baha’i community, to unwarranted criminal charges.
In recent months, members of the Baha’i community have been arrested, tried without evidence or witnesses, and imprisoned under these laws.
Furthermore, two independent statements have been issued by human rights defenders and activists addressing the continued repression of Baha’is by the Islamic Republic.
A group of 18 UN Special Rapporteurs and experts from UN working groups issued a joint letter condemning the Islamic Republic for the escalation in attacks against Baha’i women in Iran. The women face compounded suffering due to both their gender and religious beliefs.
According to the joint letter, Baha’i women now make up two-thirds of all cases of harassment and mistreatment faced by the Baha’i community in Iran, including arbitrary detention, denial of education, home raids, family separations, summons, trials based on false criminal charges, and long-term, unjust imprisonment.
“Since early March 2024 alone, 72 of 93 Baha’is summoned to court or prison, more than three-quarters, have been women. In the larger context of the targeting of women in Iran and the challenges with gender equality, this dramatic rise in persecution against Baha’i women is an alarming escalation, affecting a group of people who face intersectional persecution: as women and as members of the Baha’i religious minority,” the letter reads.
“The escalation comes as Baha’i women continue to be confronted with ongoing incidents of persecution faced by all Baha’is, including denial of higher education and economic and cultural restrictions, which span their entire lives, impacting them intellectually, socially and economically as they are banned from university and public employment only for their faith,” it added.
‘Outsiders: Multifaceted violence against Baháʼís in the Islamic Republic of Iran’
The report “Outsiders” is the latest in a series of independent reports and statements released in recent months about the situation of Baha’is in Iran.
“State violence against Baha’ís has ranged from executions, enforced disappearances, torture, and physical abuse, to the destruction of property, including homes, businesses, and cemeteries. Hundreds of Baha’ís properties have been confiscated, leaving families without recourse and with lingering trauma,” the report by Abdorrahman Boroumand Center said.
“Apart from physical violence, Baha’ís in Iran suffer structural and cultural discrimination. The constitution excludes Bahá’ís from recognized religious minorities, denying them basic rights to education, employment, and property. A 1991 memorandum further formalized policies aimed at limiting Baha’ís socioeconomic progress. Recently, Bahá’ís have been denied marriage registration, complicating legal matters around family and inheritance,” it added.
Previous reports have included “The Boot on My Neck” by Human Rights Watch, which said that the Iranian government’s treatment of the Baha’i community constitutes a crime against humanity.
“Human Rights Watch believes that the cumulative impact of authorities’ decades-long systematic repression is an intentional and severe deprivation of Baha’is’ fundamental rights and amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution,” the report said.
Another report from the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran documents the widespread abuse and repression of Baha’i women during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
Discriminatory Laws of the Islamic Republic Against Baha’is
Last month, Branch 1 of the Criminal Court in Hormozgan province rejected a request for blood money from the family of Ataollah Rezvani, citing his Baha’i faith as the reason for the denial.
The request was turned down despite the court confirming that Rezvani had been murdered in a deliberate act of homicide.
Ataollah Rezvani, a Baha’i, was killed on August 22, 2013, following months of threats from the Intelligence Office of Bandar Abbas and the office of the city’s Friday prayer leader. He was shot in the head in a premeditated, targeted attack.
After 11 years of efforts to pursue justice, with local authorities delaying and obstructing the case, the criminal court ruled that only followers of officially recognized religions in the Iranian constitution are entitled to blood money. Since Rezvani was Baha’i, no blood money would be granted.
This blatant injustice in the blood money law has persisted for 45 years, leading to the deaths of numerous Baha’i citizens without accountability for those responsible.
The discrimination in the Islamic Republic’s laws extends beyond the blood money issue. Similar inequality is evident in various legal areas, including inheritance rights, where Baha’is continue to face systemic discrimination.
Court Rulings and Imprisonment Sentences
In November, the first ruling for Baha’i citizens involved the conviction of two Baha’i women in the city of Babol.
Branch 1 of the Babol Revolutionary Court sentenced Niyosha Sabet and Suzan Eid Mohammadzadegan to five years in prison on charges of “educational and promotional activities contrary to Islamic law.”
In a separate case, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Behrad Azargan, a Baha’i musician, to 11 years in prison for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic through conducting music classes for various age groups.”
Within three weeks, an appellate court convened without informing the defendant, reducing the initial sentence to seven years.
Over the past two years, Baha’i citizens, particularly in the field of music, have faced charges related to their artistic endeavors.
In another case, Mozhgan Salmanzadeh, a psychology researcher, was tried in the Maku Revolutionary Court under Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code, accused of “educational or promotional activities that contradict or disrupt the sacred laws of Islam.”
Salmanzadeh, based in Tehran, was arrested during a visit to Maku. After three months in temporary detention, she was released.
Meanwhile, Paridokht Shojaei, a Baha’i citizen from Kerman, who had been sentenced to two years and one month in prison in September, was called to serve her sentence.
Continued Detention of Baha’i Citizens
The detention of Baha’is continued in November, as it has in previous months, with at least seven Baha’is reported arrested last month.
Among those detained, Pedram Dehghani, Rashid Dehghani, and Parsa Dehghani were arrested during a religious gathering of Baha’is in a village in Isfahan province and transferred to Isfahan prison.
Four others, Vahid Masoumi, Vahid Sabet, Elham Haghighatjoo, and Rozita Eslami, were arrested at their homes. As of the latest information, these four Baha’i citizens had only one brief phone call and a two-minute meeting with their families.
While Iranian authorities claim that they have no issue with the beliefs of Baha’is and that the arrests are related to other actions, the confiscation of religious books and photographs makes it clear that the government’s issue is with the Baha’is’ faith itself.
The confiscation of personal belongings of family members, including property documents and identification cards, violates both the legal framework of the Islamic Republic and international laws.
The search of family members’ laptops and mobile phones violates their privacy, and despite extracting data from these devices, they are not returned to their owners. This treatment appears designed to inflict psychological harm and economic pressure on Baha’i families.
According to the law, an accused person has the right to legal representation from the moment of arrest. However, Baha’is are routinely denied access to a lawyer during the initial stages of detention, a clear violation of their civil rights.
Baha’is are often interrogated for extended periods without any phone call or in-person contact with their families. In such conditions, the detainee is under extreme psychological pressure.
According to legal standards, this situation amounts to psychological and emotional torture, violating ethical, humanitarian, and legal norms.
