Annual Report on 'International Religious Freedom' by the U.S. State Department: Suppression of Religious Minorities in Iran Continues

On Wednesday, July 6, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented the 'International Religious Freedom Report for 2023,' highlighting the suppression of followers of various religions around the world, particularly the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and across the Middle East. Blinken noted the study of religious freedom conditions in 200 countries, reporting on the oppression and harassment of citizens due to their religious beliefs in many countries, including Pakistan, Hungary, China, Myanmar, and South Africa. He stated that currently, the religious freedom of millions worldwide is not respected, and several governments persecute their citizens based on their beliefs. He welcomed the firm steps taken by some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to improve religious freedoms in the past year. Blinken reiterated America's commitment to religious freedoms globally, mentioning financial support, including assistance for training human rights defenders and sheltering hundreds of thousands of refugees facing religious persecution. He cited the $100 million spent by the U.S. in 2021 to promote religious freedoms worldwide. Rashad Hussain, the U.S. Ambassador for Religious Freedom, described the annual report as a benchmark for assessing the state of religious freedom globally, noting that the report has been produced continuously for the past 25 years. Hussain characterized the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict since October 2023 as exacerbating anti-Semitism and Islamophobia globally, calling 2023 the deadliest year for Palestinians in Gaza. The report from the U.S. State Department's Office of Religious Freedom mentions multiple instances of religious freedom violations by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including pressures on Baha'is, Christian converts, Sufis, and Sunni Muslims. Mansour Borji, founder and director of the 'Article 18' organization, welcomed the report, viewing it as a step toward public awareness. He called for holding human rights-violating governments accountable and imposing penalties on violators. Under the International Religious Freedom Act, Iran has been designated as a 'country of particular concern' since 1999 due to severe violations of religious freedoms. The U.S. law mandates that countries that systematically violate religious freedoms be designated as 'countries of particular concern.' Blinken extended this designation for Iran on December 29, 2023, resulting in visa bans for several senior Iranian officials due to serious human rights violations against Iranian citizens. The Isfahan Revolutionary Court sentenced a Baha'i citizen to 10 years in prison, confiscation of property, and other penalties. The Ahvaz Revolutionary Court issued prison sentences for five Christian converts. Security forces increased pressure on Sunni religious figures to encourage people to participate in government 'elections.' Ten female political prisoners expressed support for Baha'i citizens, standing with them to end their compounded suffering. The Special Clerical Court dismissed a Sunni cleric from leading Friday prayers. Zaher Heydari, a Gonabadi dervish, was arrested again.