Memorandum submitted by The Hon. Barnabas
Leith, Principal Representative, Diplomatic Relations
The Situation of the Bahá'-« community
of Iran
I—OPENING STATEMENT
Since 1979, the Bahá'-«s in Iran
have been subjected to attack, intimidation and discrimination
solely on account of their religious beliefs. They have repeatedly
been offered relief from persecution if they were prepared to
recant their Faith. Over 200 members of the community have been
killed; 15 others have disappeared and are presumed dead. The
most recent execution of a Bahá'-« took place in the
summer of 1998.
The extent and systematic nature of the persecution—and
the fact that it constitutes deliberate government policy—have
been documented in reports issued by UN Special Representatives.
An Iranian government document (obtained and published by the
Commission on Human Rights in 1993) has served as a blueprint
for the gradual elimination of the Bahá'-« community.
Produced by Iran's Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council and
approved by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, this document
sets down guidelines for dealing with "the Bahá'-«
question" so that Bahá'-« "progress and
development shall be blocked". We have clear evidence that
the policy is clearly still in effect today.
The Bahá'-« community poses no threat
to the authorities in Iran. It is not aligned with any other government,
ideology or opposition movement. The principles of the Bahá'-«
Faith require Bahá'-«s to be obedient to their government
and to avoid partisan political involvement, subversive activity
and all forms of violence. Iranian Bahá'-«s seek no
special privileges but ask only for their rights under the International
Bill of Human Rights (to which Iran is party), in particular the
right to life, liberty and security of person, the right to profess
and practice their religion, the right to education and work.
Iranian government officials sometimes quote
Articles [91]
and [92]
of the Iranian Constitution to prove that all citizens "enjoy
all human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights".
However, the patterns of persecution of which we have evidence
illustrate that these provisions are not enforced in cases involving
Bahá'-«s. Moreover, they are restricted by Article
13, which stipulates that Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian Iranians
are the only recognized religious minorities. When government
officials use the term "religious minorities", it is
generally understood to mean only these three.
The UK Bahá'-« Community is seriously
concerned about reliable reports indicating a significant upsurge
in acts of persecution against the Iranian Bahá'-«s
during the past year, with numerous human rights abuses in localities
throughout the country, including violations of:
ii) Issues of Physical Integrity
— 206 Bahá'-«s have been
executed or killed by mob violence between 1978 and 1998.
— Nine members of the national governing
body of the Bahá'-«s were executed in 1981. A successor
body was elected and those 9 members were "disappeared",
and never seen again.
— Mr Dhabihu'llah Mahrami died in prison
on December 15 2005. He had previously been under sentence of
death but his execution for apostasy was commuted to life imprisonment
in 1999. He had no know health concerns at the time of his death.
— In recent years there have been incidents
of kidnapping and beatings of Bahá'-«s, as well as
attacks on Bahá'-«s at their homes, arson attacks
on Bahá'-« homes and a business and two Bahá'-«
students returning from schools have been accosted and severely
beaten.
— In 2005 Mir Naqi Kamali, a Bahá'-«
was killed in what an Iranian court termed a "quasi-intentional
murder". The defendant was found guilty but walked free from
court as the victim was "an unprotected infidel."
— We are gravely concerned that two
Bahá'-« women were murdered in separate incidents
this year. Bihnam Saltanat Akdari, 85years old, was found dead
in her house with her feet and hands bound and her mouth gagged
on 16 February. Mrs Shah Baygum Dihqani, 77 years old, was lured
into her garden by an intruder the following day, 17 February,
in a different town. She was set upon with garden tools and her
cries of pain caused the intruder to flee. She died two and a
half weeks later having suffered broken hands, broken ribs, head
injuries, damage to her liver and kidneys. No suspect has been
arrested for either murder but the Bahá'-«s in Iran
have been very alarmed by the similarity of the two attacks.
— There is a growing culture of threat
against the Bahá'-«s, with many acts of harassment
and intimidation targeting Bahá'-«s of all ages. Some
non- Bahá'-«s who are friends of Bahá'-«s
or wish to participate in Bahá'-« activities have
been interrogated, insulted and threatened.
iii) Imprisonments, Arbitrary Arrests and
Detentions
— Currently, three Bahá'-«s
are imprisoned in Iran, one of who is a 70 year old man, Mazharullah
Aqdasi, who was arrested for possession of three Bahá'-«
CDs.
— He and other Bahá'-«
prisoners have suffered intense interrogation.
— The Iranian authorities are making
more frequent use of a policy of short term detention, high bail
and release.
— 138 Bahá'-«s have been
subject to such short term detention, many of them are held incommunicado
for the initial period of imprisonment. They are required to place
large sums of money for bail and are forced to post deeds to property
as surety.
— Miloon Kothari, the UN Special Rapporteur
on Adequate Housing issued a report to the media on 29 June 2006.
Annex of Evidence of Appendices[93]
8 November 2007
91 Article 14 reads as follows: "In accordance
with the sacred verse "God does not forbid you to deal
kindly and justly with those who have not fought against you because
of your religion and who have not expelled you from your homes"
[60:8], the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and all
Muslims are duty-bound to treat non-Muslims in conformity with
ethical norms and the principles of Islamic justice and equity,
and to respect their human rights. This principle applies to all
who refrain from engaging in conspiracy or activity against Islam
and the Islamic Republic of Iran." Back
92
Article 20: "All citizens of the country, both men and women,
equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political,
economic, social, and cultural rights, in conformity with Islamic
criteria." Back
93
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