PM underlines concern for Iran’s Bahá’ís at historic meeting with Bahá’í delegation
Posted: 15 Jul 2009 04:00 PM PDT
Mr Brown’s remarks were made at a meeting which took place this afternoon at the Prime Minister’s office in the Houses of Parliament, attended by Lembit Öpik, MP for Montgomeryshire – who is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís group – and a delegation of three Bahá’ís, including two members of the national governing council of the Bahá’í Faith in the United Kingdom.
It was the first ever meeting between a UK Prime Minister and representatives of the Bahá’í community, which was established in Britain in 1898.
The prisoners – five men and two women – were arrested in spring 2008. Prior to their arrest they were members of an informal committee looking after the affairs of Iran’s 300,000 strong Bahá’í community, the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority. Charges against the seven have been reported in government-controlled mass media as “espionage for Israel”, “insulting religious sanctities” and “propaganda against the Islamic republic”. A further accusation of “spreading corruption on earth” has also been cited.
List of Baha’is Imprisoned in Iran
Posted: 15 Jul 2009 01:51 PM PDT
Introduction
Iran Press Watch has updated its list of Baha’is imprisoned in Iran because of their religious affiliation and plans to publish a monthly update.
Babol
Mr. Moshfeq Samandari (Apr. 14, 2009) here
Bushehr
Asadollah Jaberi (Jul. 9, 2009) here
Amad (Kaveh) Jaberi (Jul. 9, 2009) here
Karaj
Shahram Safajoo (Apr. 26, 2009) here
Qa’emshahr
Masoud Atayian (Nov 17, 2008) here
Anisa Fanaian (Jan 18, 2009) here
Mazandaran
Zia’u’llah Allahverdi (Jun. 24, 2009) here
Sonya Tebyanian (Allahverdi) (Jun. 24, 2009) here
Sari
Fayzu’llah Rushan (Apr. 2008) here
Fuad Naeimi (Sep. 2007) here
Simin Gorji (2008) here
‘Ali Ahmadi (2008) here
Changiz Derakhshanian (2008) here
Siyamak Ibrahimi-Nia (2008) here
Zia’u’llah Allahverdi (Oct 18, 2008) here
Sonya Allahverdi (Oct 18, 2008) here
Anvar Moslemi (Nov 22, 2008) here
Soheila Motallebi (Nov 22, 2008) here
Firouzeh Yegan (Jan 10, 2009) here
Pegah Sanai (Jan 10, 2009) here
Torreh Taqi-Zadeh (Feb 15, 2009) here
Mishel Ismaelpour (Apr 21, 2009) here
Semnan
Mrs. Sahba Rezvani-Fanaian (Dec. 15, 2008; transferred to Evin on May 4, 2009) here
Adel Fanaian (Jan. 5, 2009) here
Taher Eskandarian (Jan. 5, 2009) here
Abbas Nurani (Jan. 5, 2009) here
Mr. Pooya Tebyanian (Mar. 8, 2009)
Mrs. Manizheh Nasrillahi (June 17, 2009) here
Shiraz
Sasan Taqva (Nov. 2007)
Raha Sabet (Nov. 2007)
Mehran Karami (Feb. 2009)
Haleh Rouhi (Nov. 2007)
Tehran
Mahvash Sabet (Mar. 2008) here
Jamaloddin Khanjani (May 2008) here
Saeid Rezaie (May 2008) here
Fariba Kamalabadi (May 2008) here
Vahid Tizfahm (May 2008) here
Behrouz Tavakkoli (May 2008) here
Afif Naeimi (May 2008) here
Tonekabon
Badi’u’llah Fazli
Yasuj
Ali-Askar Ravanbakhsh (Oct. 28, 2008) here
Zulaykha Musavi (Oct. 28, 2008) here
Ruhiyyih Yazdani (Oct. 28, 2008) here
Yazd
Mehran Bandi (Aug. 28, 2008) here
Posted: 15 Jul 2009 05:35 AM PDT
Iran Press Watch was deeply saddened to learn of the plane crash earlier this morning in Iran in which 168 passengers were killed, including Iran’s national judo team. Our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and the people of Iran. Our prayers are with all Iranians.
For further details, kindly consult such sites as CNN or other major news outlets.
Two Baha’is Sentenced to Imprisonment
Posted: 15 Jul 2009 04:47 AM PDT
Last year witnessed many incidents of attacks on Baha’i homes in the Mazandaran region, and interrogations and arrests of Baha’is. These persecutions were particularly intense in such towns as Behshahr, Qaemshahr, Sari and Tonekabon
Two Baha’i residents of Behshahr, in the province of Mazandaran, namely, Zia’u’llah Allahverdi and his wife, Sonya Tebyanian (Allahverdi) were incarcerated for 50 days last fall (see previous post). During May and June of 2009, they had two court sessions, which on June 24 resulted in a verdict of a 2-year and a 1-year sentence for the husband and wife, respectively.
The charge against them is “activities against national security”. The two Baha’is were given 20 days, that is, until July 14, 2009, to file an appeal.
The above is happening against a background such that every form of turmoil and insecurity in the nation is blamed on the Baha’is, though no one has ever produced the slightest evidence in support of any wrongdoing by the Baha’is. From the bombing of the Husayniyh in Shiraz to the present conflicts in all towns, particularly Tehran, they blame every form of unrest on the Baha’is!
It is noteworthy that from the perspective of religious law, civil law or just basic ethics, to charge someone without any evidence or proof is viewed as immoral and a transgression. However, every day, based on the most frivolous excuses, Baha’is are subject to interrogation, violation and arrest – and so far, not a shred of evidence against them has come to light.
It is now more than a year since the former Baha’i leaders of Iran were incarcerated without any formal charges in the notorious Evin prison, and languish in the harshest physical and psychological conditions. Each day, the Iranian regime accuses them of a new crime and adds to the preposterous charges against them. Every so often their families have been promised a trial for their 7 loved ones, and then the trial has been canceled or postponed.
[Posted on June 28, 2009, at: http://khabarnavard.blogspot.
Posted: 15 Jul 2009 04:43 AM PDT
As part of its continuing service, Iran Press Watch is instituting a series of editorials which comment on conditions in Iran as well as potential pathways to solutions which could be explored through the Baha’i writings and related materials.
The Baha’is of Iran are eager to contribute actively to the social and economic improvement of that country and have had a long and cherished record of doing so through the formation of many schools, moral training classes, building of hospitals, hospices, motels, bathhouses, and much more.
Although Iran Press Watch was founded in order to provide independent and academic information on the persecution of Baha’is in Iran, we also look forward to a time when Iranians of all religious, ethnic and tribal communities can work together for the betterment of their homeland.
Towards this goal, we invite our readers to contribute short essays that might be suitable as editorials, which are oriented toward two very broad subjects:
1. Current conditions in Iran, and why they have led to the state of the country as it exists, from a social or economic perspective.
2. Outlines for how some of the ideas presented in the writings of the Baha’i faith-community could suggest solutions to social, economic or governance issues of Iran.
A few possible topics:
§ Why such a small minority as the Baha’is, obedient to government and laws, attracts such intense hatred over such a long period of time
§ The coming trial of the Yaran, and its effect on the image of Iran abroad
§ The effect of the recent upheavals on Baha’is’ relationships with their Muslim neighbors in Iran
§ The Baha’i approach to elections — indirect (electing local electors, who then elect national leaders), no parties, no politicking — and how such an approach might be of interest in areas of the world where the politics of disunity has led to national unrest
§ The usefulness of integrating Iran socially and economically with the rest of the world
§ The usefulness of orienting the encouragement of certain social norms toward rewards for desired behavior more than punishment for not behaving as desired
§ The importance of trustworthiness in government
§ Importance of the equality of men & women, and women’s education
§ Usefulness to Iran of reducing extremes of wealth & poverty
And many more.
The point to this series is that the Baha’i writings are not merely abstract indicators for a future perfect society, but are highly relevant to specific currently existing conditions in the Iranian republic; they point to ways to improve that society through their consequent effects. Editorials in this series will make this link explicitly and in some detail.
Posted: 15 Jul 2009 03:12 AM PDT
In recent times, there has been almost no news about harassment of the Baha’is in that town, but the following disturbing report was filed by the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, which appears below in translation:
According to a report received by our office, on Thursday, July 9, 2009, at 11:30 am, a number of individuals in civilian clothing who introduced themselves as agents of the Ministry of Intelligence went to the work place of Mr. Asadollah Jaberi in Bushehr and asked him to accompany them to his residence.
Upon arrival, they searched Mr. Jaberi’s home for three hours from 12 noon until 3 pm, and confiscated a large quantity of his personal property, such as books, CDs, videos, computer case, laptop, mobile phone, and other items belonging to the Jaberi family.
Once the search was concluded, the agents arrested Mr. Jaberi and his son, Amad (Kaveh) and took them to the local office of the Ministry of Intelligence.
At 3:30 pm, agents of the same Ministry went to the home of Farideh Jaberi [a daughter of Asadollah Jaberi] and confiscated her books, CDs, computer case and other personal items, and compelled her to present herself at the Ministry’s office in Bushehr on Saturday, July 11.
On the same day, the home of Mr. Parham Ranjir was searched at 7:30 pm, followed by the search of the residence of Mr. Bahram Zare’i at 8 pm, and the search of the home of Abbas Zare’i at 8:30 pm. However, since Bahram Zare’i was away on a journey, the agents were not able to search his residence.
It should be noted that the arrest of Asadollah and Amad Jaberi took place without any court order or warrants, and the arresting agents did not specify the charge against these two individuals. So far, no news has been received of their condition.
[Posted on July 10, 2009, at http://chrr.us/spip.php?
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