Human Rights Organizations: Europe Should Demand Iran to Cancel Sentences of 32 Baha'is

Ten human rights organizations have jointly requested that European Union officials ask the Iranian government to revoke prison sentences against 32 Baha'i citizens in Golestan province. The letter highlights instances of torture and the lack of access to legal counsel for the accused, urging EU members to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. The letter states that the case of the Baha'is in Golestan represents the largest mass arrest of Baha'is in the past decade. The operators of the website 'Justice for Iran,' who are also signatories of this letter, have described the treatment of the Baha'is in Golestan as unprecedented in terms of the severity of torture inflicted during interrogations. Farhad Sabetan, spokesperson for the Baha'i World Community in California, stated in an interview that these 32 individuals have been sentenced to a total of 238 years in prison. Reports from the Justice for Iran website indicate that many of the accused have faced various forms of physical violence or degrading treatment, including kicking, being hit on the head with books, slapping, and physical assaults, as well as vulgar insults from interrogators and threats of planting drugs in their homes to secure death sentences against them. Farhad Sabetan confirmed the reports of torture. Furthermore, the Justice for Iran website reported that throughout all stages of interrogation and preliminary investigations, the accused were denied access to legal counsel and only became aware of the case details after interrogations were completed and the prosecutor issued an indictment. Shadi Sadr, a human rights lawyer and women's rights activist in London involved with the Justice for Iran website, stated that the laws of the Islamic Republic have a superficial appearance and a real form, and that during the early stages of case construction, defense lawyers are not allowed to be present during interrogations. According to reports, the charges against these 32 Baha'i citizens, who were arrested by the Golestan Intelligence Department in several cities between September 2012 and December 2013, include propaganda against the regime, collaboration with hostile governments, and membership in, formation, and administration of an illegal organization. Shadi Sadr confirmed these accusations against the detainees in an interview. In their letter to the European Union, the ten human rights organizations emphasized the baselessness of the charges against the Baha'i citizens in Golestan, stating that there is no reason for these heavy sentences other than their belief in Baha'ism. Iranian officials impose severe restrictions on Baha'i citizens, who are deprived of many civil and social rights, including the right to education. Meanwhile, Hassan Youssefi Eshkevari, a religious scholar residing in Germany, noted that many early Baha'i leaders were originally Shiite clerics.