U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom: Citizens' Protests in Iran Continue Despite Severe Government Repression

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom announced on Wednesday in its annual report that the conditions for religious freedom in Iran remained 'severely weak' in the past year. However, according to this commission, despite severe repression by government agents, citizens' protests against mandatory hijab and other religious and ideological restrictions continue. The report states that officials of the Islamic Republic systematically harass, detain, sexually assault, and torture protesters. The report also highlights the situation of religious minorities in Iran, particularly the Baha'is, noting that Islamic Republic officials have detained a large number of Baha'is across Iran both individually and collectively and transferred them to unknown locations. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom states that Iranian government agents have subjected Baha'is to 'brutal beatings' during raids and searches of their homes. The commission has recommended that the U.S. government designate the Iranian regime as a 'country of particular concern' due to its 'systematic, ongoing, and egregious' violations of religious freedoms. Last year, in its 90-page annual report on the state of religious freedoms worldwide, the commission advised the Biden administration to once again classify the Islamic Republic as one of the 'countries of particular concern.' The report supported referring the Iranian government's case to the International Criminal Court for human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by Islamic Republic officials. Last September, the commission also issued a statement commemorating the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the Islamic Republic's police, expressing concern over the intensified pressure on religious minorities in Iran and the detention of their leaders. The statement emphasized that Mahsa Amini's death sparked nationwide protests in Iran against mandatory hijab laws and a multitude of other religious freedom violations. In response to these protests, the Iranian government has targeted minority communities, including Baha'is, Christians, and Sunnis, and has repressed women and girls who have peacefully opposed the government's interpretations of Islam.