U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Calls for Referral of Iran's Case to International Criminal Court

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its annual 90-page report on the state of religious freedoms worldwide, recommended that the Biden administration once again classify the Islamic Republic as one of the 'countries of particular concern.' The cover of the report features a poster of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini held by a protester during the protests in Iran, alongside the names of several religious and political prisoners in the Islamic Republic's jails. According to the report's authors, this action was taken to honor Iranian women and girls who have faced severe and violent government repression for leading ongoing protests for greater freedoms. The introduction of the report begins with peaceful protests by hundreds of thousands of Iranians, led by women and girls, following the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police, stating that protesters seeking freedom of religion or belief faced severe punishments, permanent injuries, and even death. The report indicates that instead of adhering to its commitments under international law, the Islamic Republic's officials conducted a campaign of violent repression against Iranian citizens. The introduction specifically mentions the names of Kian Pirfalak, Nika Shakeri, and Armita Abbasi, all child and adolescent victims of the protests, noting that Islamic Republic officials have systematically targeted Baha'is, Christians, Gonabadi dervishes, Zoroastrians, Yarsanis, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, and non-religious individuals for harassment, detention, long-term imprisonment, exile, or prohibition from participating in political and social activities for decades. Iran is one of 28 countries that received a separate review in this year's report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The report states that the state of religious freedoms in Iran worsened significantly in 2022, influenced by nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in morality police custody. Intensified repression, denial of access to religious sites, confiscation of property, and denial of university admission were among the human rights violations faced by Baha'is over the past year. The detention of 30 Yarsani believers and prison sentences for two of them, the destruction of a Sunni mosque in Zahedan, the imprisonment of a Christian for 10 years, and the sentencing of him and two other Christians to 10 years of social rights deprivation, the arbitrary detention of several Gonabadi dervishes, and the continued repression of non-religious and atheistic individuals were among the violations of the religious rights of Iranian citizens by the Islamic Republic over the past year. The repression of sexual and gender minorities, including the execution of four homosexual individuals and the issuance of death sentences for two others based on religious laws, was another human rights violation mentioned in this year's report. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that the Biden administration keep the Islamic Republic on the list of 'countries of particular concern,' impose sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for repressing the religious freedoms of their citizens, and support the referral of Iran's case to the International Criminal Court due to human rights violations and crimes against humanity by Islamic Republic officials. The commission also urged the U.S. Congress to assist in resettling Iranian refugees persecuted for their religion by the Islamic Republic in the U.S. and to support the struggle of Iranians for greater religious freedoms.