U.S. Senate Resolution Condemns Persecution of Baha'is in Iran

The United States Senate has condemned the "harassment and persecution of the Baha'i minority in Iran, supported by the government," through a new resolution. This resolution, known as "Resolution 148," was passed unanimously with the support of 39 senators from both major parties. The new U.S. Senate resolution calls on the Iranian government to release seven Baha'i leaders who have been imprisoned in Iran since 2008. Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaleddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeed Rezaei, Behrouz Tavakoli, Vahid Tizfahm, and Mahvash Sabet were members of a group called "Yaran" that was responsible for managing the Baha'i community in Iran and were arrested in 2008. Senator Mark Kirk, the sponsor of Resolution 148, stated regarding this action: "Across the world, more than five million Baha'is respect and honor equality among humans, but in Iran, the mentioned individuals are targeted for harassment simply for being Baha'is." The resolution also urges the President of the United States and the U.S. Department of State to "use their available powers to impose sanctions on Iranian government officials and others directly involved in serious human rights violations." According to the report from the Baha'i Public Relations Office in the U.S., a total of 71 Iranian Baha'is are imprisoned in Iran, and various arrests without charges continue against Baha'is in Iran. In this context, at least 15 Baha'i citizens have been detained in Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad. "European companies should not ignore Iran's poor human rights record," "Preventing the burial of a Baha'i citizen in Sanandaj," and "Arrest of a Baha'i artist in Tehran by the Ministry of Intelligence" are also highlighted.