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Iranian Bahai dies after 10 years in prison as UN expresses concern over human rights

Written by ry on December 20th, 2005

Cumbersome headline aside, the more that people pay attention to what’s happening to the Baha’is in Iran the better. You may have already seen this on BWNS, but the story was just picked up by Reuters:

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - An Iranian of the Bahai faith has died in his jail cell of unknown causes, 10 years after being imprisoned by Tehran for abandoning Islam, the Bahai International Community said on Monday.

Zabihollah Mahrami, 59, had been sentenced to death by Iran’s Revolutionary Court in January 1996, but the sentence was later commuted to life in prison following an international outcry.

“His death comes amidst ominous signs that a new wave of persecutions has begin” in Iran, the group’s UN office said in a statement. At least 59 Bahais have been arrested, detained or imprisoned so far this year, up sharply from the last several years, it said.

As the Baha’i World News Service article noted, Mr. Mahrami’s funeral was held on Friday, 16 December 2005, the same day that the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution expressing “serious concern” over the human rights situation in Iran, making specific mention of the ongoing persecution of the Baha’i community there.

Update:
Reader Marco Oliveira sent in this collection of links about Mr. Mahrami:
Iranian Bahai dies after 10 years in prison (Reuters/Yahoo)
Wrongly imprisoned Baha’i dies in Iranian jail (BWNS)
Dhabihullah Mahrami: Prisoner of Conscience (Amnistia Internacional - 1996)
Bahá’í Prisoners in Iran on Death Row for Apostasy (US House of Representatives)
Iran Should Release Baha’i Prisioner (Freedom House - 2004)
Court documents & government-related material (Baha’i Library)
(Thanks Marco)

Posted in news |

3 Comments so far ↓

Dec
21
8:04
PM

Marco Oliveira
More information on Mr. Mahrami:
Iranian Bahai dies after 10 years in prison (Reuters/Yahoo)
Wrongly imprisoned Baha’i dies in Iranian jail (BWNS)
Dhabihullah Mahrami: Prisoner of Conscience (Amnistia Internacional - 1996)
Bahá’í Prisoners in Iran on Death Row for Apostasy (US House of Representatives)
Iran Should Release Baha’i Prisioner (Freedom House - 2004)
Court documents & government-related material (Baha’i Library)
Mar
26
6:01
PM

josian
love u dear friends
please visit my blog
http://spaces.msn.com/i-am-bahai-mona/

http://josian-iran-free-bahai.blogspot.com/
Mar
26
6:02
PM

josian
so nice of you

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To date, MANA has released 2 albums: Reflections on the Life of the Spirit and Arising To Serve. All lyrics have been taken from the Baha'i Writings found in the sequence of courses known as Ruhi Books, developed by the Ruhi Institute. There is currently a total of seven books in the sequence.

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Iranian Bahai dies after 10 years in prison as UN expresses concern over human rights

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