Source: iranbahaipersecution.bic.org
HORMOZGAN PROVINCE: In a highly significant and deeply troubling ruling, Branch 1 of the Criminal Court of Hormozgan Province, presided over by Judges Rasoul Donya and Kazem Hosseinzadeh, has denied the family of Mr. Ataollah Rezvani – a Baha’i man murdered in an assassination-style killing in August 2013 – the right to compensation, citing his Baha’i faith as grounds for exclusion. The court’s decision, rendered on 22 October 2024, exemplifies the institutionalized discrimination faced by religious minorities in Iran, particularly the Baha’is.
Mr. Rezvani’s family had sought “blood money” compensation following his tragic death, a right granted under Iranian law in cases of willful murder, where the victim’s family is entitled to compensation from the murderer or, if the murderer is unknown or not apprehended, from the state. Despite the fact that the identity of Mr. Rezvani’s killer was known, the case had been dismissed by the authorities on the grounds that Mr. Rezvani was a Baha’i, and, as such, his life was deemed of lesser value in the eyes of the law.
The decision of the court signed by Judges Rasoul Donya and Kazem Hosseinzadeh reads as follows:
“Concerning the request of the [plaintiffs] of the late Ataollah Rezvani, son of Enayatollah, regarding the request for blood money from public funds due to the death of the murderer… upon the review of the case documents, and given that according to the case documents, including the police report and the medical examiner’s opinion which indicate a willful murder by the murderer, and considering the fact that according to the case document the victim belonged to the sect of Bahaism, as this matter was confirmed by his son Kourosh Rezvani, during the court hearing, since in accordance with the provisions of Article 554 of the Islamic Penal Code, ratified in 1392 [2013/14], based on the governing opinion of the supreme leader, the blood money for crimes against religious minorities recognized in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran is determined as equal to the blood money for Muslims, and on the other hand, in accordance with the Article 13 of the Constitution, the Iranian Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians are the only recognized religious minorities that are within the limits of the law free to observe their religious rituals, and can observe their religious teachings in their personal affairs, and the sect of Bahaism is excepted from inclusion in this Article of the Constitution, therefore, the court rules to reject the request of the [plaintiffs] for payment of blood money from public fund.”
This highly significant court decision underscores the deeply entrenched legal inequality that Baha’is face in Iran. While the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran grants certain rights to recognized religious minorities such as Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians, it explicitly excludes Baha’is, labeling them as “infidels” or “non-believers” under the law. This exclusion means that, in the eyes of the Iranian legal system, the life of a Baha’i is not equal to that of a Muslim or other recognized religious minority, further exacerbating the marginalization of the Baha’i community in Iran.
The murder of Mr. Rezvani was widely understood to be a targeted killing due to his faith. Like many previous cases of violence against Baha’is in Iran, the authorities failed to pursue justice for the victim’s family, and the perpetrators were not held accountable. This ruling, therefore, is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of systemic persecution faced by Baha’is in Iran.
The lack of justice and recognition for Baha’is in Iranian courts not only highlights the discrimination inherent in the legal system but also reflects the broader societal marginalization of Baha’is, who continue to face harassment, imprisonment, and even death at the hands of state and non-state actors alike.
This ruling serves as yet another reminder of the urgent need for international attention and advocacy on behalf of Iran’s Baha’i community, whose basic human rights continue to be systematically denied.
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