(New Haven, Connecticut, December 1, 2008) This new report from the IHRDC
examines the Islamic Republic’s persecution of its Bahá’í citizens since the Islamic
Revolution of 1979.
The report complements two earlier publications, A Faith Denied: The Persecution of the
Bahá’ís of Iran (2006) and Community Under Siege: The Ordeal of the Bahá’ís of Shiraz
(2007). It constructs, based on the rule of law, a powerful and comprehensive indictment
of Tehran’s deliberate and coordinated campaign to suffocate and ultimately destroy the
Bahá’í community by removing all traces of its religion from public life, purging the
Faith’s members from political and governmental posts and preventing Bahá’í
participation in the country’s economic, social and cultural sectors.
The regime’s campaign of persecution has led to attacks on Bahá’ís throughout the
country, and has included the targeting, unlawful arrest, prolonged detention, torture and
extrajudicial killing of many adherents and leaders of the community. These attacks
constitute crimes against humanity because they are directed against a civilian
population, are widespread and systematic in their nature and implementation, and
involve acts contrary to the principles of common humanity under the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, customary law and international criminal law.
The Islamic Republic, and any individuals involved in the ordering, instigating, planning,
aiding and abetting or commission of these killings must be held to account for their
actions by all member states of the international community. It is the hope of the IHRDC
that, at the very least, this report and its companions inform, educate and inspire victims,
human rights advocates, government authorities and members of the public to remain
steadfast in their pursuit to bring those responsible for these violations to justice.
Source: http://www.iranhrdc.org/httpdocs/English/pdfs/PressReleases/2008/Press-12-01-08.pdf
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