ICHR strongly condemns the government of Iran for imprisoning, persecuting, threatening, socially torturing and outrageously discriminating Baha’i citizens for practicing their human right to choose their religious beliefs.
Practice of religion and any ideologies and intellectual systems is the rights of all human beings. But in the politics of the Islamic Republic government human rights has no meaning.
On Sunday, November 22nd, the homes of numerous Baha’i citizens in various provinces of the country were raided and searched by the security forces of the Islamic Republic Government.
During the raids, officers confiscated many of their personal belongings, including laptops, cell phones, personal computers, money, and books related to the Baha’i faith.
Officers presented warrants for some raids during the inspection, and conducted inspections for others without any warrant.
Baha’i citizens in Iran are deprived of freedoms related to religious beliefs,human rights is non-existent for Baha’i population under the Islamic Republic’s policies and laws.
These Systematic deprivation are exerted to the Baha’i population, whereas under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights everyone has the right to freedom of religion and belief; Freedom to express it individually or collectively and in public or in private.
There are more than 300,000 Baha’is in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and does not recognize the Baha’i faith. For this reason, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have always been systematically violated for the past 41 years.
Baha’is are deprived of education, and they face a lot of restrictions, persecutions, and social torture, Their shops are closed, their business are threatened.
The Baha’i leaders are sentenced to long term imprisonment, and even their dead ones are not immune from the Islamic Republic, their cemeteries are destroyed.
ICHR strongly condemns the Islamic Republic government for their outrageous suppression, persecution, and discrimination exerted harshly on Baha’i population, and their rights.
ICHR also strongly urged the United Nations to condemn the government of Iran in the international courts, for all their criminal and terrorism activities against civilians and humanity.