54 Foreign Merchants and Economists Protest the Closure of Baha'i Businesses

Fifty-four merchants and economists, mainly from the United States, Australia, India, Brazil, and Germany, expressed their concerns in a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic regarding the "recent wave of closures of Baha'i businesses." They urged the Iranian government to "refrain from this action" and allow Baha'i citizens "full participation in economic and social life." According to the authors of the letter, since October 2014, "at least eighty businesses" owned by Baha'is in the cities of Kerman, Rafsanjan, and Sari have been sealed because their owners "temporarily closed their businesses to commemorate a Baha'i religious occasion." The letter also stated that Baha'i business owners have been "forced to sign commitments" not to close their shops on Baha'i "sacred" days. The authors described the "closure of Baha'i businesses" in Iran as a "violation of religious freedom and human rights" and "disrespect for the freedom of business." They emphasized that the "small businesses" are the only source of income for adherents of this faith, and the closure of these businesses would cause "severe economic pressure" on them. Last year, reports emerged about the sealing of Baha'i shops in several cities in Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Sari, Qaem Shahr, Tonekabon, Babolsar, Kerman, Rafsanjan, Jiroft, Bandar Abbas, and Hamadan. In their letter, these merchants and economists requested that the Iranian government guarantee the economic freedom of its citizens, just as it welcomes the entry of Western countries into the Iranian economy. Meanwhile, Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, stated, "The global business community must tell Iran that if it wants to open its doors to trade, it must respect the laws and rights of Baha'is." According to the Baha'i community in Europe, approximately 300,000 Baha'is live in Iran, but the laws of the Islamic Republic do not recognize Baha'ism as a religion, and Baha'is in Iran are deprived of the right to education at universities and employment in government agencies. The Baha'i community claims that since the 1979 revolution, over 200 Baha'is have been killed by the Iranian government, and thousands have been arrested and subjected to harassment. Additionally, Simin Fahandej, spokesperson for the global Baha'i community, stated last year that more than 80 Baha'is are imprisoned. In the same context, at least 15 Baha'i citizens have been arrested in Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad. The U.S. Senate resolution condemned the persecution of Baha'is in Iran, and 24 Baha'is in Golestan province have been sentenced to 193 years in prison. Reports of "beatings" and "torture" of detained Baha'is in Golestan have also surfaced.