Find Communities in Australia

Join activities, celebrations, study groups, spiritual empowerment and education programs for young people, and more.

Learn about the Baha’i Faith

Baha’i beliefs address essential spiritual themes for humanity’s collective and individual advancement. Learn more about these and more.

DISMISS MENU

Breaking News: Baha’i Leaders Sentenced to 20 Years

March 27, 2011, in Articles > News, by
Baha’i Leaders in Iran Sentenced to 20 Years

According to a report by Iran Press Watch, the Appeals Court in Iran has sentenced seven Baha’i leaders to 20 years in prison. This sentence, which was initially handed down in August 2010 by Iran’s Revolutionary Court, was reduced on 15 September 2010 from 20 to 10 years. This change has since been ignored, with the 20 year sentence being affirmed today.

As many of you already know, there has been a long history of persecution against the Baha’is in Iran, which has escalated since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The regime’s treatment of the seven Iranian Baha’i leaders is indicative of its systematic persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran as a whole.

“The baseless nature of the charges against the seven proved that their indictment is founded entirely on religious persecution,” said Diane Ala’i, a representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

“Their trial was actually the trial of an entire religious community, an attempt to further intimidate and further ostracize all Iranian Baha’is, who number more than 300,000, simply because they hold a different viewpoint from those in power.”

The international community continues to condemn the treatment of the Bahai’s in Iran and calls on the Iranian government to respect the human rights of all its citizens. Human rights  In an address commemorating the Iranian New Year, President Obama of the United States condemned the Iranian government for the treatment of its citizens, including the Baha’is. This latest development in the case of the seven Baha’i leaders of Iran has occurred just after the appointment of a special investigator by the United Nations Human Rights Council to monitor Iran’s compliance with international human rights standards.

A historical background of the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran can be found in the Baha’i International Community’s report, “The Bahá’í Question: Cultural Cleansing in Iran”.

Posted by

Preethi

In her professional life, Preethi has dabbled in various combinations of education, community development and law. At heart, though, she's an overgrown child who thinks the world is one giant playground. She's currently on a quest to make learning come alive for young people and to bring the world's stories and cultures to them, with educational resources from One Story Learning.
Preethi

Discussion 4 Comments

[…] today, Mahvash’s sentence along with those of her seven Baha’i companions could be augmented again to 20 years. This outcome has not yet been […]

This is so sad. My exposure to Bahai faith is limited to my interactions with people who follow Bahai’sm as there was a Bahai House in the neighbourhood at Chandigarh, India. For some reason the house has been pulled down now.

From the interaction I understood that Bahai’s are kind and respect all religions. Hearing this news sort of disheartens me as the human race is taking steps backward by doing what they did.

I hope the Iranian government reconsiders their case and gives them justice.

Peace!

Pali Madra

Pali Madra (May 5, 2011 at 6:25 PM)

[…] months after the sentencing of the Baha’i leaders in Iran to 20 years imprisonment, Iran has once again come under international scrutiny for its long-standing persecution of […]

Everyday Human Rights | Baha'i Blog

Everyday Human Rights | Baha'i Blog (June 6, 2011 at 4:27 AM)

I relished reading this. I really need to understand alot more about this matter. I’m appreciating time and energy you include your site, because it is great website in which I can obtain lot of useful info.

Rosaria Sofranko

Rosaria Sofranko (December 12, 2011 at 1:11 AM)

Leave a Reply

YOUR EMAIL WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED
REQUIRED FIELDS ARE MARKED *

"*" indicates required fields

Receive our regular newsletter

Join activities, celebrations, study groups, spiritual empowerment and education programs for young people, and more.

Find Communities in Australia

or Internationally

The arts and media have a critical role in how we share our community experiences. We’ve got resources, projects and more to help you get involved.

Visit our Creator Hub

Baha’i beliefs address essential spiritual themes for humanity’s collective and individual advancement. Learn more about these and more.

What Baha’is Believe

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia.

We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their cultures; and to elders both past and present.

Baha’i Blog is a non-profit independent initiative

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha’i Faith.