Criticism from Two Human Rights Organizations on the 'Growing Suppression of Baha'is' in Iran

The International Federation for Human Rights and its Iranian member organization, the Society for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran, condemned what they termed the 'growing suppression of Baha'is in Iran' in a joint media message released on Monday, November 15. The message states: 'The severely discriminatory and repressive actions that have long threatened the Baha'i religious minority in Iran have significantly increased in recent weeks with arbitrary arrests and the forcible closure of Baha'i-owned shops.' The International Federation for Human Rights and the Society for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran noted that police officers sealed more than 100 shops belonging to Baha'i followers in various cities of Iran, including Qaemshahr, Sari, and Nowshahr in the north and Bandar Abbas in the south, on November 3 and 4. Earlier reports indicated that the closures were due to the owners ceasing work during Baha'i holidays. In this regard, the organizations stated that officers did not provide any legal justification for their actions when sealing the shops. Reports of the closure of businesses belonging to several Baha'is in Iran had previously been published. According to BahaiNews, there have been at least 400 cases of economic discrimination against the Baha'i community by the Iranian authorities in recent years, and 'these discriminations have largely occurred illegally and against existing laws.' Alongside the sealing of these shops, the website of the Baha'i World Community quoted Ms. Bani Dougal, the senior representative of this community at the United Nations, stating that this action reflects the 'futility of the Iranian government's claims of no discrimination against the Baha'i community in Iran.' Ms. Dougal said: 'We call on the international community to condemn these unjust actions and urge the Iranian government to take fundamental, immediate, and significant measures to end and remedy these discriminations.' The Baha'i World Community had also previously sent an open letter to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, on September 7, asking him to end the 'economic suppression of Baha'is' in Iran. This rights advocacy organization criticized the 'economic apartheid' against Baha'is in Iran and accused the Iranian officials of 'deliberate policies' and 'organized discrimination' against Baha'is. Meanwhile, the joint statement from the International Federation for Human Rights and the Society for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran also mentioned that at least five Baha'i followers were arrested in Sari, the capital of Mazandaran province, in recent days. The names of these five individuals, Soheil Haqdoust, Nima Noikhah, Behnam Mirzaei, Arsham Samiei, and Shahrooz Zamani, were mentioned. They were among the shopkeepers who had approached the Mazandaran governorate to reopen their shops. According to this joint statement, this group remains in custody, but no charges have been brought against them. A few days ago, the Baha'i International Committee reported in a 122-page document that since Hassan Rouhani's presidency in Iran, thousands of articles and writings against Baha'is have been published, 151 individuals have been arrested, and nearly 400 cases of economic and educational discrimination have been reported. The Baha'i International Committee accused Rouhani's government of worsening the situation for these citizens, despite its commitment to addressing inappropriate treatment of religious groups and minorities in Iran. According to the Associated Press, this committee stated that over the past three years, since Mr. Rouhani took office, more than 20,000 hate-filled propaganda articles against Baha'is have been published in Iranian media. The report mentions the arrest of 151 Baha'is and about 390 cases of educational and economic discrimination against followers of this faith in Iran. International organizations, including the United Nations and human rights advocacy groups, have repeatedly published reports and criticisms regarding the situation of Baha'is in Iran, their suppression and arrests, and the prevention of their education and business activities. In Iran, some religious reformists have criticized the 'oppression' against Baha'is, some academics and intellectuals have expressed 'shame' over the government's treatment of them, and citizen groups have formed to pursue some of the discriminations against them. These remarks and actions have also faced harsh reactions from the judiciary and security forces. The Islamic Republic does not recognize the Baha'i faith, and senior government officials have repeatedly spoken against it. In this regard, according to the Baha'i World Community, since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration, over 860 Baha'i believers have been arrested, and 275 of them were ultimately convicted and imprisoned. According to the Baha'i World Community, Iran is home to nearly 300,000 of its believers.