The Bahá'í International Community Calls for Investigation of Human Rights Violations Against Bahá'ís in Iran at the United Nations

On January 17, 2025, the Bahá'í International Community urged all UN member states to examine the violations of the rights of Bahá'ís in Iran at the UN Human Rights Council and hold the Islamic Republic accountable for the systematic and widespread violations of this minority's rights. The UN Human Rights Council is set to hold its fourth 'Universal Periodic Review' session on January 25 in Geneva, where the human rights record of the Iranian government will be assessed and recommendations for improvement will be made. Simin Fahandj, the representative of the Bahá'í International Community at the United Nations, emphasized the importance of this meeting, stating, 'We urge UN member states to take their commitment to human rights seriously and condemn the Islamic Republic's treatment of Bahá'ís in this process. This is a pivotal moment to confront religious discrimination, support the rights of Bahá'ís, and demonstrate that the world will not remain silent in the face of the systematic oppression of a community because of their beliefs.' The Bahá'í International Community has called on governments to require the Islamic Republic of Iran to eliminate discrimination against Bahá'ís, including in education and employment, respect freedom of religion and belief, end systematic harassment, stop state-sponsored hate speech, immediately halt detentions and confiscation of property, and return confiscated properties to Bahá'ís. This organization has also warned that despite Iran's acceptance of previous recommendations in the 2019 review, it has not taken any effective steps to eliminate discrimination and has intensified human rights violations against Bahá'ís. Bahá'ís in Iran, who are the largest religious minority in the country, have been deprived of basic rights such as higher education, employment, and access to public services under the rule of the Islamic Republic, and they regularly face property confiscation, cemetery destruction, and arbitrary detentions. The UN Special Rapporteur has described the persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran as one of the most severe examples of human rights violations in today's world. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, have recently reported the repression of Bahá'ís as instances of 'crimes against humanity' and 'systematic religious discrimination.'