Prejudiced Courts Aiding Land Grabs of Baha’i Properties in Iran
Bigoted statements against Baha'is (in this photo calling them "infidels") have been written in graffiti on their properties in Iran. Court Rulings Based ...
Religious Freedom
UN Experts Alarmed by Escalating Persecution of Baha’i Faith in Iran
The UN has condemned the Iranian government's renewed campaign of persecution against the Baha'i faith minority. Bahai's, including former prisoners of conscience, are being arbitrarily detained while others are seeing the government confiscate their property. The Baha’i community is one of the most severely persecuted religious minorities ...
UN Should Condemn Renewed Crackdown on Persecuted Baha’i Faith in Iran
August 5, 2022 – Increasing arbitrary arrests of members of the persecuted Baha’i faith in Iran, and an intensifying government-sponsored campaign of destruction and confiscation of their properties should be internationally condemned, said the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion ...
Four Baha’is Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Trying to Access Higher Education
Court Rulings Reveal Systematic Religious Discrimination The Baha’i faith community is one of the most severely persecuted religious minorities in Iran. Iran’s government is unabashed in its propagating of false narratives about the community and has for decades blocked Baha’is from obtaining prominent positions in Iranian society as well ...
Mohseni-Ejei’s Appointment as Iran’s Judiciary Chief Poses Grave Threat to Rights Activists
Judicial System To Be Used To Further Suppress Dissent July 6, 2021—The appointment of Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, a major human rights violator, as the Islamic Republic’s new judiciary chief is another indication of the commitment by the country’s ruling establishment to use the judicial system as a ...
More Baha’is Begin Serving Prison Sentences in Iran Simply for Their Beliefs
Farid Zirgi Moghaddam began serving his five-year sentence in the central prison in the city of Birjand, in South Khorasan province in eastern Iran, on October 19, 2020—a prison sentence that was based solely on his belief in the banned Baha’i faith, the Center for Human Rights ...
Unrecognized Minorities in Iran Must Now Hide Religion to Obtain Crucial Government ID
New Rule Strengthens Long-Standing Discrimination Against Persecuted Religious Minorities, Especially Bahai’s January 27, 2020 – In a new rule that severely discriminates against all unrecognized minority religions in Iran, the state-issued National Identity Card—which is required for almost all government and other transactions—will only allow citizens to register ...
Imprisoned Sufi Dervishes Launch Hunger Strike Demanding Freedom of Movement for Ailing Spiritual Leader
More than 70 imprisoned members of the Sufi Gonabadi Order began a hunger strike in early November to honor their ailing spiritual leader Nour-Ali Tabandeh, who had been hospitalized due to complications from his own hunger strike, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has ...
Baha’i Woman Blindfolded During Interrogations, Imprisoned Under “National Security” Crimes
Man Pressured to Make False Confession, Charged With National Security Crimes for Running Peaceful Baha'i Social Media Channels A Baha’i woman started serving a prison sentence and a Baha’i man was charged with national security crimes for his peaceful social media activities amidst the Iranian judiciary’s ongoing persecution ...
Prominent Iranian Activists Speak Out Against Councilman’s Imprisonment
Former Political Prisoners Condemn the Criminalization of Free Speech in Iran A group of prominent political and civil rights activists in Iran has issued a statement condemning the imprisonment of a councilman after he publicly denounced the arrests of two citizens for their religious beliefs, as well as the ...
Seven Baha’i Faith Members Sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment in Bushehr
From left to right: Minoo Riyazati, Emad Jaberi, Farideh Jaberi, Asadollah Jaberi, Ehteram ...
Sufi Woman Beaten by Inmate in Gharchak Prison
Sufi political prisoner Sima Entesari was beaten by an inmate who claims she was promised a case review if she carried out the attack, a source with detailed knowledge of the event informed the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). “One of the prisoners convicted of drug-related ...
Shiite Mystic Released from Prison in Iran After Serving Nine Years, Case Status Unclear
Editor's Note: On April 24, 2019, Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Esmaili told reporters that all outstanding sentences in Mr. Taheri's case have been rescinded according to Article 134 of Iran's Islamic Penal Code. Ejei added, without specifying that "...he is still under certain legal and social restrictions ...
Second Iranian Councilman Persecuted for Speaking up for Baha’i Rights
A member of the Isfahan City Council, Mehdi Moghaddari, has been suspended from his seat for six months in part for supporting a fellow councilman who had sought the release of detained followers of the Baha’i faith and was ...
Iran: Free Imprisoned Gonabadi Dervishes
Dozens of Sufi Gonabadi dervishes, a persecuted religious minority in Iran, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms since mass protests in February 2018 turned violent, resulting in the deaths of five members of Iran's armed forces and one Sufi protester. Many dervishes are in jail today without access to counsel or medical treatment, being ...
Iran Appeals Court Upholds Lengthy Prison Sentences, Lashings Against 23 Dervishes
Sentences Range from Six to 26 Years Including Lashes March 15, 2019 – The mass conviction of 23 dervishes of the Sufi Gonabadi Order to prison terms of up to 26 years as well as lashings further curbs religious freedom rights in Iran. “It’s a clear ...
UN Expert Concerned by Crackdown on Protests and Strikes in Iran
Iranian students clash with riot police during an anti-government protest around the University of Tehran, Iran, 30 December 2017. Living conditions difficult for many Iranians Expert calls for release of those detained for exercising their rights Law allowing death sentence for ...
New UN Report on Iran Notes Decline in Executions, Ongoing Executions of Child Offenders
Javaid Rehman was appointed as the third Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in ...
Sufi Prisoners Denied Medical Treatment for Painful Pellet Wounds
Prison Official: “We shot to kill you, not to treat you” Two Sufi Muslims imprisoned in Iran’s Great Tehran Penitentiary (GTP) are being denied medical treatment for infected wounds from pellet guns fired by security forces 11 months ago. Hassan ...
Sufi Woman Jailed in Iran Sentenced to 148 Lashes For Criticizing Gharchak Prison Conditions
Elham Ahmadi, an imprisoned member of the Sufi Gonabadi Order in Iran, has been sentenced to 148 lashes for speaking out about the denial of medical treatment and poor living conditions in Gharchak Prison located south of Tehran in the town of Varamin, ...
Nasrin Sotoudeh and Baha’i Political Prisoner Refuse Phone Calls in Solidarity With Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Authorities Revoke Phone Privileges, Reduce Food Rations in Evin Prison’s Women’s Ward Two political prisoners held in the same ward as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in Iran’s Evin Prison have given up their right to phone calls until the authorities lift newly imposed restrictions targeting the Iranian ...
Baha’i Woman Sentenced to 11.9 Years in Prison, Banned From University in Iran
Yekta Fahandej Sa’di was sentenced to 11 years and nine months in prison for her Baha’i religious beliefs by a preliminary court in the city of Shiraz in south-central Iran on December 30, 2018, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has ...
Food With “Rodent Feces” Served to Political Prisoners in Iran’s Great Tehran Penitentiary
The food served at the Great Tehran Penitentiary (GTP) is unsanitary and has been found to contain rodent feces, making some prisoners sick, the wife of a political prisoner held there told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). On December ...
Elderly Baha’i Man Arrested for Third Time for Peacefully Practicing His Religion
While searching Ali Ahmadi's house, agents of Iran's Intelligence Ministry called him a ‘Baha’i dog’ and warned ...
Iranian Authorities’ Refuse to Allow Christian Convert Ebrahim Firoozi to See Dying Mother
Kobra Kamrani holds a sign that says "Ebrahim Firoozi." While battling breast cancer for the past year, Kobra Kamrani’s only wish was to see her son Ebrahim Firoozi...