Members of the Baha’i community, a long-persecuted religious minority in Iran, are facing increased pressure and harassment from the authorities. Dozens of people have been arrested, and the property of Baha’i members has been destroyed.
There have been hundreds of cases of persecution, including arrests, summonses, searches, destruction of houses, confiscation of agricultural lands, and denial of education recorded in the past month alone.
Iran Human Rights Monitor condemns this systematic oppression and persecution and calls on human rights advocates and the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to demand accountability for the Iranian regime’s suppression of religious minorities.
Summons, Arrest, and Detention
In the past month, there has been a new wave of summoning and arresting Baha’is in Iran.
Simin Fahandezh, a spokeswoman for the International Baha’i community reported at least 125 cases of suppression of Baha’is in just 10 days. She highlighted that Baha’is were imprisoned, their property confiscated, and they were denied higher education.
At least 65 Baha’i citizens have been summoned and arrested in various cities since the beginning of July 2022.
On July 31, 2022, security forces raided the homes of more than 35 Baha’is, illegally searched their houses without warrants, and arbitrarily arrested at least six Baha’is, including former leaders of the community Mahvash Sabet, Fariba Kamalabadi, and Afif Naeimi. All three have already spent 10 years in prison for their religious beliefs.
Reports of other arrests include Shole Shahidi, who was arrested on July 13 in the city of Bojnourd along with his two sons, Faran and Shayan Sanai.
The Iranian Intelligence Ministry stated on August 1 that an unspecified number of people from the Baha’i community had been arrested, accusing them of being spies with links to Israel and of propagating the Baha’i faith by “infiltrating various educational sectors” across the country, including kindergartens.
Harassment of Baha’is with Raids, Home Demolitions
Authorities raided the village of Roshankuh in Mazandaran Province on August 2, destroying at least eight homes belonging to Baha’i families and confiscating 20 hectares of their land.
They closed off an access road, fired gunshots in the air, and sprayed pepper gas at villagers. Dozens of Baha’i homes in cities like Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, Karaj, Sari, and Gorgan have also been illegally searched. The authorities have offered no evidence for their claims.
Denial of Education
Despite passing the university entrance exams, 50 Baha’is have been barred from enrolling in universities after authorities discovered their religious affiliation.
Baha’is are routinely denied the right to higher education in Iran, either by being banned from enrolling in a university or being expelled without a proper explanation once enrolled in the school.
Bahai Persecution in Iran
Although Article 23 of the Iranian constitution states that “no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief,” followers of the faith are denied many rights, including property ownership, equal burial rights, and access to higher education.
Unofficial sources estimate that there are more than 300,000 people following the Bahai Faith in Iran. However, the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran only recognizes Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism and does not recognize Bahaism.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, Iranian Bahais have been systematically persecuted as a matter of government policy. Hundreds of Bahais have faced imprisonment, torture, job loss, and denial of rights due to their religious beliefs.