Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (the UK’s foreign ministry), has today issued a statement expressing his great concern about the pending trial of the seven Baha’i leaders in Iran.
I am very concerned at news that seven leading members of the Iranian Baha’i community, detained since March and May 2008, have been charged with spying for Israel, “insulting religious sanctities” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic” – charges which could attract the death penalty.
The Iranian government appears to be increasingly using vaguely worded charges of this nature to target human rights defenders and religious minorities. It is hard not to conclude that these people are being held solely on account of their religious beliefs or their peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression and association.
The seven Baha’is had to wait over eight months to be notified of the charges against them. They have not been given any access to their lawyer: and their lawyer has not been given access to their case files. This makes it very hard to believe that they will receive a fair trial.
We have also received disturbing reports of systematic discrimination against and harassment of Bahá’ís on the grounds of their religion.
This takes place in the context of a serious deterioration in the human rights environment in Iran over the last few years, including a worsening crackdown on human rights defenders and minority activists, and a sharp increase in the use of the death penalty (there were over 300 executions in 2008, including 8 juvenile executions).
The EU has called several times for the Iranian government to immediately release the seven detainees. Now that they have been charged, the Iranian government must at the very least ensure that the trial is fair, transparent and open to independent observers.
Iran should also uphold fully the right to adopt and practise a religion of choice, and end discrimination against the Bahá’í community.
Article in The Guardian
Nazila Ghanea has published an excellent article on the situation facing the Baha’is in Iran in The Guardian’s Comment is Free section. Nazila’s concluding points are well worth paying attention to.
Far from being a threat to state security, the Baha’is of Iran are deeply committed to the peaceful and prosperous development of their country. The facts demonstrate that they are persecuted purely for their religious beliefs. Time and again, they have been offered their freedom – and in some cases, their lives – if they recant their faith and convert to Islam. For more than a century, Baha’is have preferred to face the most extreme punishment rather than deny the very principles that guide their lives. They should not, however, be required to make that choice.
Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Iran, persecution, human rights, Foreign Office, Bill Rammell, Nazila Ghanea
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