More than Half of Religious Minority Rights Violations in Iran Concern Bahá'ís

The human rights media outlet, HRANA, reports that "over 67 percent" of the repression of religious minorities in Iran over the past year pertains to Bahá'ís. This media outlet announced in its annual report on human rights violations in Iran on Friday, January 7, that after Bahá'ís, approximately 13 percent of security agency actions were against Sunni followers, and over 9 percent against Christians. According to this report, the Islamic Republic has arrested at least 85 citizens from religious minorities in 2024 and summoned another 65 to security agencies. The report states that Iran's judicial authorities have issued over 4,700 months of imprisonment for followers of religious minorities in Iran. Radio Farda cannot independently verify the statistics and figures from HRANA's reports. The US State Department, in its annual report on religious freedom in July 2024, stated that after the killing of Mahsa Zhina Amini in the custody of the morality police in October 2022, pressure and repression of religious minorities in Iran have increased. This report highlighted numerous instances of repression and religious persecution in the Islamic Republic, addressing the ongoing pressure on Bahá'ís, Dervishes, Christian converts, and Sunnis. The annual report on religious freedom specifies that currently, one thousand Bahá'ís are under arrest, house arrest, awaiting sentencing, or under pressure to appear in court. Evidence, statistics, and reports received by Radio Farda also indicate that systematic pressure from security agencies, especially on Bahá'í citizens in Iran, has increased alongside the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, particularly in terms of security confrontations, discrimination, deprivation of basic citizenship rights, and direct pressure on detained Bahá'í protesters and activists. This repression has shown an upward trend a year after the onset of widespread protests and, according to statements from Bahá'í activists inside the country, continues to this day. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, which works on victims of violence by the Islamic Republic, also stated in a research report this January that the actions of the Islamic Republic against followers of this religious minority could be considered "crimes against humanity."