U.S. Commission: Religious Freedom Situation in Iran Has Deteriorated

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom states in its annual report that the situation of religious freedom in Iran has "deteriorated." The commission has recommended that the U.S. government continue to identify and sanction violators of minority rights and freedom of belief in Iran. This advisory commission, established by the U.S. Congress and considered an independent and bipartisan entity, claims that the Iranian government continues to engage in "targeted, ongoing, and egregious" violations of religious freedoms, exemplified by "long-term imprisonment," "torture," or "execution." According to the commission, since Hassan Rouhani took office in the presidential elections of 2013, this situation has "worsened," and he has not fulfilled his "promises to strengthen the rights and freedoms of religious minorities." In one of his speeches at the beginning of his presidency, the Iranian president stated, "We all abide by the Constitution, and there is no distinction between the followers of different ethnicities and religions in this Constitution, and all people of Iran are entitled to equal citizenship rights under the Constitution." [Read more] Iran recognizes Christian, Zoroastrian, and Jewish religions, and their representatives have fixed seats in the Islamic Consultative Assembly. However, religions such as Bahá'ism are not only unrecognized but are also described by Iranian officials as a "deviant sect." The U.S. religious freedom commission states that based on recent statistics, 300,000 Bahá'ís live alongside other religious groups in Iran, constituting "the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran," and nearly 850 of them have been arrested over the past ten years. The commission notes that as of February 2016, at least 80 Bahá'ís are imprisoned "due to their religious beliefs." The accusations that Iranian judicial authorities have leveled against the arrested Bahá'ís include allegations of "connections with Israel," which have been denied by the detainees and their lawyers. The commission states that dissenting Shiites, Sunni Muslims, Sufis, and dervishes are among other groups that continue to face "harassment," "detention," and "physical and psychological violence in prison." In 2013, hundreds of dervishes in Lorestan province wrote a letter to Hassan Rouhani, demanding urgent attention to the situation of imprisoned dervishes. The signatories of this letter referred to the security and judicial pressures of previous years and asked Mr. Rouhani to put an end to "illegal behaviors" against them. Ali Younesi, the special assistant to the Iranian president for ethnic and minority affairs, described the treatment of dervishes as "unfortunate" and "arbitrary," contrary to the "interests and laws of the Islamic Republic." However, he stated that these incidents occurred in the past and have not "recurred." [Read more] The Religious Freedom Commission states that dozens of Sufis and dervishes, Sunni Muslims, or reformist Shiites remain in prison. Last year, a prayer room belonging to Sunni citizens in the Punak area of Tehran was demolished by "municipal agents" with the support of "security forces." This incident faced criticism from Sunni Friday prayer leaders and was also "condemned" by the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, affiliated with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. This forum emphasized that it is "inappropriate to generalize" this action to the "entire Islamic system and its leadership." [Read more] Violations of the rights of Christians and Christian converts, attacks on their churches, and the imprisonment of "about 90 of them due to their religious beliefs" are other issues mentioned in the 2016 report. According to the commission, "one positive development observed in Iran is that Jewish students no longer need to attend classes on Saturday (the Jewish day of rest)." The commission on international religious freedom also states that the Iranian government continues its anti-Semitic propaganda, "but these instances have not been as pronounced compared to previous years." The commission criticizes the "suppression" and existence of "discriminatory conditions" against Zoroastrians, stating that four of them who were imprisoned for promoting this faith are still in jail. According to this commission, "harassment" of lawyers, human rights defenders, and journalists who advocate for the rights of religious minorities continues. The commission has urged the U.S. government to keep Tehran on the list of "countries of particular concern" and to continue identifying and sanctioning government officials accused of "violating religious rights and freedoms in Iran." The United States has imposed sanctions related to human rights violations against Tehran, which, alongside sanctions related to "state support for terrorism" or ballistic missile programs, remain in effect. The existence of these sanctions has caused international banks to continue to refrain from trading with Iran or to take extensive actions. Reports from advisory organizations like the Commission on International Religious Freedom are among the resources that officials in Washington use to respond to other countries. The religious affairs commission has urged the U.S. government to keep Tehran on the list of "countries of particular concern." This commission has suggested that issues related to religious freedom be included in bilateral and multilateral discussions with Iran, emphasizing the freedom of minorities and dissenting religious beliefs, and continuing to identify and sanction government officials accused of "violating religious rights and freedoms in Iran." According to this commission's proposal, the United States should expand access to technology and new programs using a dedicated budget and create conditions for the free receipt of information for Iranian citizens.