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Baha'i
In his report to the UN General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur outlines a series of human rights violations against the Baha’i community of Iran and other ethnic and religious minorities, and sets out a number of recommendations to the Iranian authorities.
“The absence of constitutional and legal recognition for non-recognized minorities entails denials of fundamental human rights for their followers. Left outside the national legal framework, unrecognized minority religious groups such as Baha’is, Christian converts, [and] Sufis...are the targets of discriminatory legislation and practices,” the report reads.
The report adds that the “constant threat of raids, arrests and detention or imprisonment...remain the main features of the country’s persecution of Baha’is”, and calls on the Iranian authorities to amend all articles in the Islamic Penal Code that discriminate on the basis of religion or belief.
“Given that the Baha’i Faith is regarded as a ‘misguided sect’ and Baha’i worship and religious practices are deemed heresy, they frequently face charges such as ‘breaching national security’, ‘propaganda against the holy regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran’ or ‘propaganda activities against the regime in the interests of the Baha’i sect,’” the report adds.
The report further outlines:
—Since 1979, more than 200 Baha’is have been executed, solely on the basis of their religious beliefs, with nearly half of them representing the elected members of the local and national Baha’i governing councils. Regarded by the Iranian authorities and by the Iranian criminal justice system as “unprotected infidels”, Baha’is have been murdered with impunity and violations of their human rights have not been investigated.
—A total of 95 Baha’is were reportedly arrested in 2018, compared with at least 84 in 2017 and 81 in 2016. This suggests that, while the number of such arbitrary arrests each year may fluctuate, the persecution is not subsiding.
—There have been more than 800 incidents of violations of economic rights of the Baha’is since 2013, including arbitrary shop closures, unfair dismissals from employment and the actual or threatened revocation of business licences.
—Baha’i cemeteries have been desecrated and Baha’is have not been allowed to bury their dead in accordance with their religious laws. Local cemeteries in Tehran and other major cities had been turned into parks and cultural buildings.
Baha’is of Iran suffer most egregious forms of persecution - UN report
“The absence of constitutional and legal recognition for non-recognized minorities entails denials of fundamental human rights for their followers. Left outside the national legal framework, unrecognized minority religious groups such as Baha’is, Christian converts, [and] Sufis...are the targets of discriminatory legislation and practices,” the report reads.
The report adds that the “constant threat of raids, arrests and detention or imprisonment...remain the main features of the country’s persecution of Baha’is”, and calls on the Iranian authorities to amend all articles in the Islamic Penal Code that discriminate on the basis of religion or belief.
“Given that the Baha’i Faith is regarded as a ‘misguided sect’ and Baha’i worship and religious practices are deemed heresy, they frequently face charges such as ‘breaching national security’, ‘propaganda against the holy regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran’ or ‘propaganda activities against the regime in the interests of the Baha’i sect,’” the report adds.
The report further outlines:
—Since 1979, more than 200 Baha’is have been executed, solely on the basis of their religious beliefs, with nearly half of them representing the elected members of the local and national Baha’i governing councils. Regarded by the Iranian authorities and by the Iranian criminal justice system as “unprotected infidels”, Baha’is have been murdered with impunity and violations of their human rights have not been investigated.
—A total of 95 Baha’is were reportedly arrested in 2018, compared with at least 84 in 2017 and 81 in 2016. This suggests that, while the number of such arbitrary arrests each year may fluctuate, the persecution is not subsiding.
—There have been more than 800 incidents of violations of economic rights of the Baha’is since 2013, including arbitrary shop closures, unfair dismissals from employment and the actual or threatened revocation of business licences.
—Baha’i cemeteries have been desecrated and Baha’is have not been allowed to bury their dead in accordance with their religious laws. Local cemeteries in Tehran and other major cities had been turned into parks and cultural buildings.
Baha’is of Iran suffer most egregious forms of persecution - UN report
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