Number of Baha’is imprisoned in Iran surpasses 100 mark

July 15, 2011 , editor , Leave a comment

Arrests on the rise

According to the latest reports, 103 Baha’is are currently behind bars because of their religious beliefs. This number has risen dramatically from the beginning of the year.

Another nearly 100 Baha’is have received prison sentences and await appeal or summons to begin serving their terms.

An additional 160 Baha’is are free on bail but could face imprisonment pending their trials.

UK’s Law Society and the Solicitors’ International Human Rights Group

The escalating arrests targeting Baha’is in Iran was addressed in a joint letter dated July 6 from two British legal associations to the UN Human Rights Council’s newly-appointed Special Rapporteur on Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Maldives. Read about the UNHRC’s historic vote.

Lionel Blackman, the chair of the Solicitors’ International Human Rights Group, said the newly appointed Special Rapporteur “needs to boldly look beyond the explicit mistruths stated by the Iranian authorities – such as those by Mohammad-Javad Larijani, Secretary-General of the High Council for Human Rights last month, that Iran does not arrest any Baha’i in Iran just for being a Baha’i.

“A well documented record of over three decades by a range of credible sources suggests the contrary. Indeed the very national representatives of this religious minority community have just entered the third year of imprisonment of a 20 year sentence which stemmed from a highly flawed legal process,” said Mr. Blackman.

he statement highlights the cases of “peaceful protesters who have called for the end of discrimination against women, and academics who have countered the cynical exclusion of their co-religionists from tertiary education by setting up a university to cater for excluded Baha’i youth.”

he statement, issued on 6 July, also expresses concern over “the detention and debarring of lawyers who have fulfilled their professional calling by defending the rights of opposition activists, journalists, ethnic and religious minorities and juvenile offenders, as well as other victims of grave human rights violations.”

The lack of due process, independence of the judiciary and equality before the law jeopardizes the universal human rights of all Iranians,” said Law Society president Linda Lee.

The Law Society represents thousands of solicitors in England and Wales. The Solicitors’ International Human Rights Group promotes awareness of international human rights within the legal profession, encourages human rights lawyers outside of the United Kingdom, and conducts related missions, research, campaigns and training.