Criticism from Two Human Rights Organizations and the Baha'i Community Against the Islamic Republic for Suppressing Baha'is

The Iran Human Rights Campaign and the Baha'i World Community criticized the Islamic Republic on Thursday, November 8, for the "suppression of the Baha'i community" through increased arrests of Baha'is, especially Baha'i women. The statement noted that the Iranian government has subjected members of the Baha'i community to ongoing harassment for decades, arresting and imprisoning their leaders and barring them from education, jobs, and business. The Iran Human Rights Campaign and the Baha'i World Community pointed out the intensification of security and judicial actions by the Iranian government against over a thousand Baha'is, who are facing court sentences or long-term imprisonment. Hadi Ghaemi, director of the Iran Human Rights Campaign, stated: "The Iranian government's all-out attack on the Baha'i community requires much greater global attention," and noted that the Islamic Republic is making significant efforts to "eradicate the entire Baha'i community simply for their desire to practice their faith." Ghaemi added: "By targeting Baha'i women for brutal harassment and torture, Iranian authorities not only destroy families and attack the heart of community resistance but also deliberately expand their escalating war against women." Earlier, on October 22 of this year, the Iranian judiciary sentenced 10 Baha'i women in Isfahan to a total of 90 years in prison, fines, and other penalties on charges including "educational propaganda activities." According to the ruling of the first branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Isfahan, these 10 Baha'i women, accused of "educational propaganda activities," received decades of imprisonment and hundreds of millions of tomans in fines. In this case, Yeganeh Aghaei, Yeganeh Rouh-Bakhsh, Negin Khademi, Shana Shoghi-Far, Mojgan Shah-Rezaei, Parastoo Hakim, Arzoo Sobhanian, and Neda Badakhsh each received "10 years in prison and a 100 million toman fine." According to the court ruling, one-third of the sentences for Khademi, Aghaei, and Rouh-Bakhsh, as well as half of the sentences for Shah-Rezaei, Hakim, Sobhanian, Badakhsh, and Shoghi-Far, are suspended. Additionally, two other citizens named Neda Emadi and Bahareh Lotfi were each sentenced to five years in prison and a 50 million toman fine, with four years of their prison sentences also suspended. The statement called on the United Nations, world governments, human rights groups, and religious organizations to immediately demand that Iranian authorities release all imprisoned Baha'is, drop all charges against them, and end the harassment and torture of Baha'is for practicing their faith. Other demands from the Iran Human Rights Campaign and the Baha'i World Community include ending discriminatory educational and employment policies, restoring or compensating for dismissals, or confiscated or destroyed property, and stopping the destruction of Baha'i cemeteries. According to unofficial sources, over 300,000 Baha'is live in Iran, but the Iranian Constitution not only does not recognize the Baha'i faith but also discriminates against it. Iranian judicial authorities have deprived Baha'i citizens of their civil rights, including the right to education, for decades, describing non-governmental education for them with terms such as "deviant". Human rights organizations state that the rights of Baha'is in Iran have been systematically violated over the years, and government pressures on them have increased in recent months. Behzad Azargan, a Baha'i citizen, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for teaching music. Reporters and experts from the United Nations condemned the targeting of Baha'i women by the Islamic Republic. The closure of the businesses of three Baha'is occurred after they participated in a religious ceremony. The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced a Baha'i citizen to 11 years in prison and confiscation of property. The Human Rights Campaign criticized the continuation of organized repression against religious minorities, especially Baha'is.