Source: www.bic.org
Members of European and national parliaments highlight systematic discrimination against women from Baha’i religious minority amid broader human rights violations
Brussels—30 January 2025—One hundred and twenty-five Members of European Parliament and national parliaments across Europe have united to support a powerful statement by United Nations Special Rapporteurs and UN Working Group experts condemning the escalating persecution of Baha’i women in Iran.
The UN’s press release on the statement, published on 23 December 2024, raises the alarm over the Islamic Republic of Iran’s intensified persecution of Baha’i women, female members of the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, who face compounded discrimination both as women and as members of the Baha’i religious minority.
“In the larger context of the targeting of women in Iran and the challenges with gender equality, this dramatic rise in persecution against Baha’i women is an alarming escalation,” the experts said.
On 31 July 2024, the experts had issued their joint allegation letter to the Iranian government, in which it raised concerns over the recent rise in attacks against Baha’i women. The letter, which pointed to the intersectional nature of the discrimination faced by these women, called for the immediate cessation of arrests, harassment, and unjust imprisonment.
The European parliamentarians expressed deep concern over the findings highlighted in the UN experts’ joint communication, stating:
“We echo the statement of UN Rapporteurs and Experts who have expressed ‘serious concern at what appears to be an increase in systematic targeting of Iranian women belonging to the Baha’i religious minority throughout the country.’”
The joint statement by European parliamentarians emphasizes the critical importance of addressing the plight of Baha’i women in Iran:
“The plight of Baha’i women in Iran demands urgent attention and action from the international community. We strongly urge the Iranian authorities to put an end to the persecution of Baha’i women and safeguard their human rights,” the parliamentarians said.
A January 23 “urgency resolution(link is external)” passed by the European Parliament also rebuked the Iranian government’s systematic persecution of Baha’is—as did an earlier one passed by the same body in November 2024(link is external). The November resolution cited the 1991 “Baha’i question” memorandum, signed by Iran’s supreme leader, detailing measures to “block the progress and development” of Baha’is in Iran. And in July 2024, more than 50 European parliamentarians signed a joint statement condemning Iran’s treatment of Baha’i women.
The latest interventions by European parliamentarians reflect a growing global momentum to hold the Iranian government accountable for its human rights violations against Baha’is, women, and all vulnerable groups and minorities in the country.
The UN experts highlighted that Baha’i women have become the primary targets of state-sanctioned harassment, facing arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, raids on their homes, and ongoing restrictions on their basic freedoms. Baha’i women face persecution both as Baha’is and as women, the experts said, raising concerns that the attacks will continue to escalate in severity and range.
Since the beginning of nationwide protests following the tragic death of Mahsa Jina Amini, in late 2022, the persecution of Baha’i women in Iran has significantly increased. Two-thirds of all Baha’is currently targeted in Iran are women. These women face egregious human rights violations, including:
- Arbitrary arrests and detentions, often without due process.
- Enforced disappearances and family separations.
- Severe restrictions on freedom of movement.
- Raids on homes and confiscation of property.
- Denial of access to education at all levels.
This wave of persecution reflects a long-standing pattern of discrimination and violence against the Baha’i community in Iran, compounded by the Iranian government’s broader repression of women’s rights.
“We are grateful to receive the support of so many leading European parliamentarians, both at the European Parliament and across national bodies,” said Rachel Bayani, Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the European institutions in Brussels. “The solidarity of these MEPs and MPs follows a similar initiative just six months ago—demonstrating that concern for Baha’is in Iran and Baha’i women is rising as the Iranian government increases its persecution of these innocent people.”
Recent findings by the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, and Human Rights Watch’s “The Boot on My Neck” report underscore the systematic nature of these abuses. Human Rights Watch has classified the Iranian government’s treatment of the Baha’is as the crime against humanity of persecution. The reports document the Iranian government’s use of discriminatory laws, policies, and practices to marginalize and oppress the Baha’i community, highlighting the urgent need for international intervention.
The Baha’i International Community has repeatedly called for coordinated international action to protect the fundamental rights of Baha’is in Iran—and to pressure the Iranian government to relent in its systematic persecution of the Baha’i community. The persecution of Baha’i women represents not only a violation of individual rights but also a broader assault on religious freedom and gender equality in Iran.
The statement by European parliamentarians sends a clear message of solidarity with the Baha’i community in Iran, reiterating the call for justice, accountability, and an end to state-sponsored persecution.
“Authorities in the Islamic Republic must take note that officials and parliamentarians across Europe are standing up for the rights of the Baha’is, and all minorities in Iran,” Ms. Bayani said “The only way forward is to end the persecution of Baha’is in Iran—and to respect the rights of all Iranians of every background.”
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