Hello,
Thank you for an interesting, if undoubtedly heartbreaking, question.
As I?m sure you know, it can be difficult to ascertain the details of
what is really happening internally in the country of Iran.
Information does not flow as freely as it does in many other
countries.
However, there are a number of high-profile organizations that
regularly report on the state of affairs of human rights in Iran,
including incidents pertaining to religious persecution. I have
listed the major reports below and (within the bounds of copyright
restrictions) have excerpted some of the sections that seemed most
relevant to your question.
Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you further.
pafalafa-ga
==========
The organization known as Human Rights Watch is very well-respected
and reports on what it deems to be abuses of human rights anywhere in
the world. Their information on Iran can be found here:
http://hrw.org/doc/?t=mideast_pub&c=iran
Iran: Religious and Ethnic Minorities
September 1997
This is the report that I excerpted in my original note to you, but I
would certainly urge you to consult the full text of the report for
many more examples along the line of the ones already posted.
==========
The U.S. State Department also tracks human rights abuses, and reports
on individual countries in a series known as: ?U.S. Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices?. Their report on Iran is here:
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/nea/8251.htm
and I?ve provided extensive excerpts (the report is not copyrighted) below:
Religious minorities, particularly Baha'is--who are viewed not as a
religious group, but as a heretical group and a subversive political
organization--continued to suffer repression by conservative elements
of the judiciary and security establishment. In July 2000, 10 Iranian
Jews were tried and convicted on charges of having illegal contact
with Israel, and sentenced to between 2 and 13 years in prison. Three
others were acquitted. The trial procedures were unfair, and violated
numerous internationally recognized standards of due process. Their
appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected in January. One was released
at the conclusion of his 2-year sentence in March, but the other nine
remain in prison.
-----
Section 2c. Freedom of Religion
The Government restricts freedom of religion. The Constitution
declares that the "official religion of Iran is Islam and the sect
followed is that of Ja'fari (Twelver) Shi'ism," and that this
principle is "eternally immutable." It also states that "other Islamic
denominations are to be accorded full respect," and recognizes
Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews (Iran's pre-Islamic religions) as
the only "protected religious minorities." Religions not specifically
protected under the Constitution do not enjoy freedom of religion.
This situation most directly affects the nearly 350,000 followers of
the Baha'i Faith, who effectively enjoy no legal rights.
The central feature of the country's Islamic republican system is rule
by a "religious jurisconsult." Its senior leadership, including the
Supreme Leader of the Revolution, the President, the head of the
Judiciary, and the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
(Parliament), is composed principally of Shi'a clergymen.
Religious activity is monitored closely by the Ministry of
Intelligence and Security (MOIS). Adherents of recognized religious
minorities are not required to register individually with the
Government, although their community, religious, and cultural
organizations, as well as schools and public events, are monitored
closely. Baha'is are not recognized by the Government as a legitimate
religious group; rather, they are considered heretics belonging to an
outlawed political organization. Registration of Baha'is is a police
function. Evangelical Christian groups are pressured by government
authorities to compile and hand over membership lists for their
congregations. Evangelicals have resisted this demand. Non-Muslim
owners of grocery shops are required to indicate their religious
affiliation on the fronts of their shops.
The population is approximately 99 percent Muslim, of which 89 percent
are Shi'a and 10 percent are Sunni (mostly Turkomans, Arabs, Baluchs,
and Kurds, living in the southwest, southeast, and northwest). Baha'i,
Christian, Zoroastrian, and Jewish communities constitute less than 1
percent of the population. Sufi brotherhoods are popular, but there
are no reliable figures available to judge their true size.
Other than seats set aside in the Parliament for one representative
each from the Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian communities,
religious minorities are barred from being elected to a representative
body and from holding senior government or military positions (see
Sections 3 and 5).
Members of religious minorities are allowed to vote, but they may not
run for President. All religious minorities suffer varying degrees of
officially sanctioned discrimination, particularly in the areas of
employment, education, and housing (see Section 5).
The Government generally allows recognized religious minorities to
conduct religious education of their adherents, although it restricts
this right considerably in some cases. There are separate and
privately funded Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian schools. The
schools are supervised by the Ministry of Education, which imposes
certain curriculum requirements. With few exceptions, the directors of
the private schools must be Muslim. Attendance at the schools is not
mandatory for recognized religious minorities. All textbooks used in
course work must be approved for use by the Ministry of Education,
including religious texts. Religious texts in non-Persian languages
require approval by the authorities for use. This requirement imposes
sometimes significant translation expenses on minority communities.
Recognized religious minorities may use non-Persian languages to
provide religious instruction, but often teach in Persian. Since the
authorities understand what is being said in Persian, they may
exercise greater control over what is being taught than they would be
able to if the instruction were in a non-Persian language. In
particular, evangelical Christian and Jewish communities have suffered
harassment and arrest by authorities for the content of school
instruction and religious services.
Recognized religious minorities are allowed by the Government to
establish community centers and certain cultural, social, sports, or
charitable associations that they finance themselves. This does not
apply to the Baha'i community, which, since 1983, has been denied the
right to assemble officially or to maintain administrative
institutions. Because the Baha'i Faith has no clergy, the denial of
the right to form such institutions and elect officers has threatened
its very existence in the country.
In 1993 the UNSR reported the existence of a government policy
directive regarding the Baha'is. According to the directive, the
Supreme Revolutionary Council instructed government agencies to block
the progress and development of the Baha'i community, expel Baha'i
students from universities, cut Baha'i links with groups outside Iran,
restrict employment of Baha'is, and deny Baha'is "positions of
influence," including those in education. The Government claims that
the directive is a forgery. However, it appears to be an accurate
reflection of government practice to slowly eradicate the Baha'i
community.
In September in conjunction with an appeal connected to the 1998 raids
and property confiscations, the Ministry of Justice issued a report
that reiterated that government policy continued to be to eventually
eliminate them as a community. It stated in part that Baha'is could
only be enrolled in schools provided they did not identify themselves
as Baha'is, and that Baha'is preferably should be enrolled in schools
that have a strong and imposing religious ideology. The report also
stated that Baha'is must be expelled from universities, either in the
admission process or during the course of their studies, once it
becomes known that they are Baha'is.
University applicants are required to pass an examination in Islamic
theology. Although public-school students receive instruction in
Islam, this requirement limits the access of most religious minorities
to higher education. Applicants for public sector employment similarly
are screened for their knowledge of Islam.
The legal system discriminates against religious minorities, awarding
lower monetary compensation in injury and death lawsuits and imposing
heavier punishments than on Muslims. Muslim men are free to marry
non-Muslim women, but the opposite does not apply. Marriages between
Muslim women and non-Muslim men are not recognized.
The Government is highly suspicious of any proselytizing of Muslims by
non-Muslims and can be harsh in its response, in particular against
Baha'is and evangelical Christians. The Government regards the Baha'i
community, whose faith originally derives from a strand of Islam, as a
heretical sect, and has fueled anti-Baha'i and anti-Semitic sentiment
in the country for political purposes.
The Government does not ensure the right of citizens to change or
recant their religious faith. Apostasy, specifically conversion from
Islam, may be punishable by death.
Although Sunni Muslims are accorded full respect under the terms of
the Constitution, some Sunni groups claim to be discriminated against
by the Government. In particular, Sunnis cite the lack of a Sunni
mosque in Tehran and claim that authorities refuse to authorize
construction of a Sunni place of worship in the capital. Sunnis also
have accused the state broadcasting company of airing programming
insulting to Sunnis. Numerous Sunni clerics have been killed in recent
years, some allegedly by government agents.
Sufi organizations outside the country remain concerned about
repression by the authorities of Sufi religious practices.
The largest non-Muslim minority is the Baha'i Faith, estimated at
nearly 350,000 adherents throughout the country. The Baha'i Faith
originated in Iran during the 1840's as a reformist movement within
Shi'a Islam. Initially it attracted a wide following among Shi'a
clergy. The political and religious authorities of that time joined to
suppress the movement, and since then the hostility of the Shi'a
clergy to the Baha'i Faith has remained intense. Baha'is are
considered apostates because of their claim to a valid religious
revelation subsequent to that of the Prophet Mohammed. The Baha'i
Faith is defined by the Government as a political "sect," historically
linked to the Pahlavi monarchy and, therefore, as
counterrevolutionary. Historically at risk, Baha'is often have
suffered increased levels of mistreatment during times of political
unrest.
Baha'is may not teach or practice their faith or maintain links with
coreligionists abroad. The fact that the Baha'i world headquarters is
situated in what is now the state of Israel (established by the
founder of the Baha'i Faith in the 19th century in what was then
Ottoman-controlled Palestine) exposes Baha'is to government charges of
"espionage on behalf of Zionism," particularly when Baha'is are caught
communicating with or remitting monetary contributions to the Baha'i
Faith headquarters.
Broad restrictions on Baha'is appear to be geared to destroying them
as a community. Baha'is repeatedly have been offered relief from
mistreatment in exchange for recanting their faith. Baha'i cemeteries,
holy places, historical sites, administrative centers, and other
assets were seized shortly after the 1979 revolution. None of these
properties have been returned, and many have been destroyed. Baha'is
are not allowed to bury and honor their dead in keeping with their
religious tradition. They are permitted access only to areas of
wasteland that the Government designates for their use, and are not
allowed to mark graves. Many historic Baha'i gravesites have been
desecrated or destroyed.
In 2000 in the city of Abadeh, a Baha'i cemetery with 22 graves was
bulldozed by a Revolutionary Guard officer. In what seemed to be a
hopeful sign, the Government this year offered the Tehran community a
piece of land for use as a cemetery. However, the land was in the
desert, with no access to water, making it impossible to perform
Baha'i mourning rituals. In addition, the Government stipulated that
no markers be put on individual graves and that no mortuary facilities
be built on the site, making it impossible to perform a proper burial.
According to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the
U.S., since 1979 more than 200 Baha'is have been killed and 15
disappeared and are presumed dead. The Government continued to
imprison and detain Baha'is based on their religious beliefs.
Manuchehr Khulusi was arrested in June 1999 while visiting fellow
Baha'is in the town of Birjand, and was imprisoned until his release
in May 2000. During his imprisonment, Khulusi was interrogated,
beaten, held in solitary confinement, and denied access to his lawyer.
The charges brought against him still are unknown, but they were
believed to be related to his faith. The Islamic Revolutionary Court
in Mashhad had held a 2-day trial in September 1999 and then sentenced
him to death in February 2000. Despite Khulusi's release, it is
unclear if the conviction and death sentence against him still stand.
Ruhollah Rowhani, a Baha'i, was executed in July 1998 after having
served 9 months in solitary confinement on a charge of apostasy, which
arose from his allegedly having converted a Muslim woman to the Baha'i
Faith. The woman claimed that her mother was a Baha'i and she herself
had been raised a Baha'i. Rowhani was not accorded a public trial, and
no sentence was announced prior to his execution.
Two Baha'is Sirus Zabihi-Moghaddam and Hadayat Kashefi-Najafabadi,
were tried alongside Rowhani in 1998 and later sentenced to death by a
revolutionary court in Mashad for practicing their faith. In 2000 the
sentences were reduced to jail terms of 7 and 5 years, respectively.
Kashefi-Najafabadi was released in October after serving 4 years of
his sentence.
Baha'i group meetings and religious education, which often take place
in private homes and offices, are curtailed severely. Public and
private universities continue to deny admittance to Baha'i students,
which is particularly demoralizing to a community that traditionally
has placed a high value on education. Denial of access to higher
education appears aimed at the eventual impoverishment of the Baha'i
community.
The property rights of Baha'is generally are disregarded. Since 1979
large numbers of private and business properties belonging to Baha'is
have been confiscated. In recent months, 14 Baha'i homes were seized
and handed over to an agency of Supreme Leader Khamene'i. According to
sources, authorities confiscated Baha'i properties in Kata and forced
several families to leave their homes and farmlands. Authorities also
imprisoned some, and did not permit others to harvest their crops.
Sources also report that authorities in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz
also confiscated private Baha'i property during the year. In one
instance, a woman from Isfahan who legally traveled abroad found that
her home had been confiscated when she returned home. This year the
Government also seized private homes in which Baha'i youth classes
were held despite the owners having proper ownership documents. In
1999 three Baha'i homes in Yazd and one in Arbakan were confiscated
because their owners were members of the Baha'i community. In
September and October 1998, government officers plundered more than
500 Baha'i homes throughout the country and seized personal household
effects, such as furniture and appliances. The Government's seizure of
Baha'i personal property, as well as its denial of access to education
and employment, is eroding the economic base of the Baha'i community.
In 1999 authorities in Khurasan intensified their efforts to
intimidate and undermine Baha'i education. Two teachers in Mashhad
were arrested and sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment. Their students
were given suspended sentences, to be carried out if the students
again participated in religious education classes. Three more Baha'is
were arrested in Bujnurd in northern Khurasan for participating in
religious education gatherings. After 6 days in prison, they were
released with suspended sentences of 5 years. The use of suspended
sentences appears to be a government tactic to discourage Baha'is from
taking part in monthly religious gatherings.
In September 1998, authorities conducted a nationwide raid of more
than 500 homes and offices owned or occupied by Baha'is to disrupt the
activities of the Baha'i Institute of Higher Learning. Also known as
the "Open University," the Institute was established by the Baha'i
community shortly after the revolution to offer opportunities in
higher education to Baha'i students who had been denied access to the
country's high schools and universities. The Institute employed Baha'i
faculty and professors, many of whom had been dismissed from teaching
positions by the Government as a result of their faith, and conducted
classes in homes or offices owned or rented by Baha'is. During the
operation, which took place in at least 14 different cities, 36
faculty members were arrested, and a variety of personal property,
including books, papers, and furniture, either were destroyed or
confiscated. Government interrogators sought to force the detained
faculty members to sign statements acknowledging that the Open
University was defunct and pledging not to collaborate with it in the
future. Baha'is outside the country report that none of the 36
detainees would sign the document. All but 4 of the 36 persons
detained during the September 1998 raid on the Baha'i Institute were
released by November 1998.
In March 1999, Dr. Sina Hakiman, Farzad Khajeh Sharifabadi, Habibullah
Ferdosian Najafabadi, and Ziaullah Mirzapanah, the four remaining
detainees from the September 1998 raid, were convicted under Article
498 of the Penal Code and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3 to
10 years. In the court verdict, the four were accused of having
establishing a "secret organization" engaged in "attracting youth,
teaching against Islam, and teaching against the regime of the Islamic
Republic." According to Baha'i groups outside Iran, the four taught
general science and Persian literature courses. In July 1999,
Mirzapanah, who had been sentenced to 3 years in prison, became ill
and was hospitalized. Prison authorities allowed him to return home
upon his recovery on the understanding that they could find him
whenever necessary. The other three were released in December 1999.
The Government appears to adhere to a practice of keeping a small
number of Baha'is in arbitrary detention, some at risk of execution,
at any given time. There were five Baha'is reported to be under arrest
for practicing their faith at year's end, two under sentence of death.
In addition the Government appears to engage in harassment of the
Baha'i community by arresting persons arbitrarily, charging Baha'is,
and then releasing them, often without dropping the charges against
them. Those with charges still pending against them fear that they may
be arrested at any time.
Baha'is regularly are denied compensation for injury or criminal
victimization. Government authorities claim that only Muslim
plaintiffs are eligible for compensation in these circumstances. In
practice, Baha'is continue to be denied most forms of government
employment (see Section 5).
The Government often prevents Baha'is from traveling outside the
country. In February the Government denied visas to the Baha'i
delegation to the Regional Preparatory Conference for the World
Conference on Racism, held in Tehran. The delegation was composed of
American, Japanese, South Korean, and Indian nationals. However, it
has become somewhat easier for Baha'is to obtain passports in order to
travel abroad. In addition some Iranian embassies abroad do not
require applicants to state a religious affiliation. In such cases,
Baha'is more likely are able to renew passports.
Over the past 2 years, the Government has taken some positive steps in
recognizing the rights of Baha'is, as well as other religious
minorities. In November 1999, President Khatami publicly stated that
no one in the country should be persecuted because of his or her
religious beliefs. He added that he would defend the civil rights of
all citizens, regardless of their beliefs or religion. Subsequently
the Expediency Council approved the "Right of Citizenship" bill,
affirming the social and political rights of all citizens and their
equality before the law. In February 2000, following approval of the
bill, the head of the judiciary issued a circular letter to all
registry offices throughout the country, which permits any couple to
be registered as husband and wife without being required to state
their religious affiliation. This measure effectively permits the
registration of Baha'i marriages in the country. Previously Baha'i
marriages were not recognized by the Government, leaving Baha'i women
open to charges of prostitution. Consequently children of Baha'i
marriages were not recognized as legitimate and therefore were denied
inheritance rights.
The UNSR estimated the Christian Community at approximately 300,000.
Of these the majority are ethnic Armenians and Assyro-Chaldeans.
Protestant denominations and evangelical churches also are active,
although nonethnically based groups report restrictions on their
activities. The UNSR reported that Christians are emigrating at an
estimated rate of 15,000 to 20,000 per year.
The authorities have become particularly vigilant in recent years in
curbing what is perceived as increasing proselytizing activities by
evangelical Christians, whose services are conducted in Persian.
Government officials have reacted to this perceived activity by
closing evangelical churches and arresting converts. Members of
evangelical congregations are required to carry membership cards,
photocopies of which must be provided to the authorities. Worshipers
are subject to identity checks by authorities posted outside
congregation centers. Meetings for evangelical services have been
restricted by the authorities to Sundays, and church officials have
been ordered to inform the Ministry of Information and Islamic
Guidance before admitting new members to their congregations.
Since conversion by a Muslim to a non-Muslim religion may be
considered apostasy under traditional Shari'a (Islamic law) practices
enforced in the country, non-Muslims may not proselytize Muslims
without putting their own lives at risk. Evangelical church leaders
are subject to pressure from authorities to sign pledges committing
them not to evangelize among Muslims or to allow Muslims to attend
church services.
In 1999 one organization reported the deaths of 8 evangelical
Christians at the hands of authorities in the previous 11 years, and
between 15 and 23 disappearances between November 1997 and November
1998.
Mistreatment of Evangelical Christians has continued in recent years.
Christian groups have reported instances of government harassment of
churchgoers in Tehran, in particular of worshipers at the Assembly of
God congregation in the capital. Cited instances of harassment
included conspicuous monitoring outside Christian premises by
Revolutionary Guards to discourage Muslims or converts from entering
church premises and demands for presentation of identity papers of
worshipers inside.
Estimates of the size of the Iranian Jewish community vary from 25,000
to 30,000. These figures represent a substantial reduction from the
estimated 75,000 to 80,000 Jews who resided in the country prior to
the 1979 revolution.
While Jews are a recognized religious minority, allegations of
official discrimination are frequent. The Government's anti-Israel
policies, coupled with a perception among radicalized Muslim elements
in Iran that Jewish citizens support Zionism and the State of Israel,
create a threatening atmosphere for the small Jewish community. Jewish
leaders reportedly are reluctant to draw attention to official
mistreatment of their community due to fear of government reprisal.
Some Jewish groups outside the country cite an increase in
anti-Semitic propaganda in the official and semiofficial media as
adding to the pressure felt by the Jewish community. One example cited
is the periodic publication of the anti-Semitic and fictitious
Protocols of the Elders of Zion, both by the Government and by
periodicals associated with hard-line elements of the Government. In
1986 the Iranian Embassy in London was reported to have published and
distributed the Protocols in English. The Protocols also were
published in serial form in the country in 1994 and again in January
1999. On the latter occasion they were published in Sobh, a
conservative monthly publication reportedly aligned with the security
services.
In principle, with some exception, there appears to be little
restriction or interference with the religious practice of Judaism.
However, education of Jewish children has become more difficult in
recent years. According to sources, the Government in theory allows
the teaching of Hebrew, recognizing that it is necessary for Jewish
religious practice. However, it strongly discourages teachers from
distributing Hebrew texts to students, in practice making it difficult
to teach the language. Furthermore the Government has required that
several Jewish schools remain open on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath,
in conformity with the schedule of other schools in the school system.
Working or attending school on the Sabbath violates Jewish religious
law, and this requirement has made it difficult for religious Jews to
both attend school and practice their religion.
Jews were gradually dismissed from most government positions after
1979. Jews are permitted to obtain passports and to travel outside the
country; however, with the exception of certain business travelers,
they are required by the authorities to obtain government clearance
(and pay additional fees) before each trip abroad. The Government
appears concerned about the emigration of Jews and permission
generally is not granted for all members of a Jewish family to travel
outside the country at the same time (see Section 2.d.).
In February and March 1999, 13 Jews were arrested in the cities of
Shiraz and Isfahan. Among the group were several prominent rabbis,
teachers of Hebrew, and their students. The charges centered on
alleged acts of espionage on behalf of Israel, an offense punishable
by death. The 13 were jailed for more than a year before trial,
largely in solitary confinement, without official charges or access to
lawyers. In April 2000, the defendants were appointed lawyers, and a
closed trial commenced in a revolutionary court in Shiraz. Human
rights groups and governments around the world criticized the lack of
due process in the proceedings. The UNSR characterized them as "in no
way fair." In July 2000, 10 of the 13, along with 2 Muslim defendants,
were convicted on charges of illegal contact with Israel, conspiracy
to form an illegal organization, and recruiting agents. They received
prison sentences ranging from 4 to 13 years. Three were acquitted. The
lawyers of those convicted filed an appeal and in September 2000, an
appeals court overturned the convictions for forming an illegal
organization and recruiting agents, but upheld the convictions for
illegal contacts with Israel. Their sentences were reduced to between
2 and 9 years' imprisonment. In January the Supreme Court rejected a
final appeal. One of the 10 convicted was released in February upon
completion of his prison term; 9 remained in prison at year's end.
Jewish groups outside the country noted that the March 1999 arrest of
the 13 Jewish individuals coincided with an increase in anti-Semitic
propaganda in newspapers and journals associated with hardline
elements of the Government. Since the beginning of the trial, Jewish
businesses in Tehran and Shiraz have been targets of vandalism and
boycotts, and Jews reportedly suffered personal harassment and
intimidation.
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the
Mandaeans are included among the country's recognized religious
minorities. The small community faces discrimination similar to that
experienced by the country's other pre-Islamic religious minorities.
The Government restricts the movement of several senior religious
leaders, some of whom have been under house arrest for years (see
Sections 1.d. and 2.d.), and often charges members of religious
minorities with crimes such as drug offenses, "confronting the
regime," and apostasy (see Section 1.e.).
==========
The United Nations has appointed a ?Special Representative of the
Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the
Islamic Republic of Iran? who has prepared a number of documents on
the situation in Iran, which are listed here:
http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/FramePage/Iran%20En?OpenDocument&Start=1&Count=15&Expand=2
Of particular interest, is this ?Report of the Special Representative?:
http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/74e1f21f50a70017802566fe005ba67c?Opendocument
which includes a number of specific cases of concern, a few of which I
have excerpted:
--"... I should like to bring to your attention that I have received
reports according to which Mr. Mehdi Dibaj, a former Muslim and now a
Christian pastor, who has been in prison for more than seven years,
was sentenced to death on 3 December 1993 on charges of apostasy by an
Islamic Revolutionary Court in the city of Sari. Fears have been
expressed that his execution may be imminent.
--"On 11 January 1994, Bishop Haik Hovsepian Mehr had requested me to
travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran to meet with Protestant and
Evangelical ministers and government officials to discuss human rights
matters and the situation of the religious minorities. He reportedly
met with the Ministry of Islamic Guidance and presented a request that
the rights of the Christian minority be protected. In response, the
Ministry reportedly required all Christian denominations to sign a
declaration stating that they enjoyed full constitutional rights as
Christians in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Bishop Haik Hovsepian Mehr
refused to sign on behalf of his denomination....On 19 January 1994,
he disappeared from his residence in Tehran and was reportedly taken
to an agency of the Government. Some days later, he was found dead.
--Concern has been expressed to the Special Representative about the
recent assassinations of Christian church leaders in Iran. The
assassination of Reverend Tatavous Michaelian, aged 62, was reported.
He was the acting chairman of the Council of Protestant Ministers in
Iran and the pastor of St. John Presbyterian Evangelical Church in
Tehran. On 2 July 1994, his son was called by the authorities to
identify the body of his father. Reverend Michaelian was shot several
times in the head. He had not been seen since leaving his home on 29
June 1994.
--On 5 July 1994, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported
that law enforcement officials had found the body of Reverend Mehdi
Dibaj, a former Muslim and a Christian pastor of the Assemblies of God
Church in Iran, in a forest located in west Tehran, while conducting
investigations into the murder of Reverend Michaelian. Reverend Dibaj,
aged 59, had been in prison since 1986. On 21 December 1993, an
Islamic revolutionary court in the city of Sari sentenced Reverend
Dibaj to death on charges of apostasy, because he had converted from
Islam to Christianity in 1949. The Court gave him 20 days to appeal
against the death sentence. However, on 13 January 1994, Reverend
Dibaj was released, although the charges against him were not dropped.
He had not been seen since 24 June 1994.
--Reverend Haik Hovsepian Mehr, Chairman of the Council of Evangelical
Ministers in Iran and Superintendent of the Church of the Assemblies
of God, was found dead on 20 January 1994 in Karaj. He was abducted
six days after Reverend Dibaj was released. He had refused to sign a
document saying that the churches enjoyed all the rights guaranteed to
them in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran of 1979 and
had been outspoken in his defence of Reverend Dibaj and against the
latter's death sentence. The family of Reverend Hovsepian Mehr was not
informed of his death until 30 January 1994.
==========
A large number of documents pertaining to the treatment of members of
the Baha?i faith in Iran can be found here:
http://www.onecountry.org/listhr.html
==========
A list of documents from Amnesty International pertaining to human
rights in Iran can be found here:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/eng-irn/news
with an additional listing of the cases of specific individuals:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130212000?open&of=ENG-IRN
(MDE 13/003/2004) Iran: Death penalty/flogging/torture
(MDE 13/041/2003) Iran: Fear of imminent execution, Kobra Rahmanpour
(f), aged about 22
(MDE 13/039/2003) Iran: Flogging
(MDE 13/040/2003) Iran: Alarming spiral of human rights violations mar
positive steps
(MDE 13/037/2003) Iran: Death penalty / flogging / torture
(MDE 13/036/2003) Iran: Possible "disappearance"/ fear for safety - Ahmad Batebi
=========
As for the specific question you asked, t is difficult to know
precisely which incident you had in mind, in asking for information
about a citizen returning to Iran who was killed at the airport. If
you can remember any additional details about this incident, perhaps I
can track it down for you.
In the mean time, here is an article referring to general concerns
about Iranians who are put in danger when they are forced to return to
Iran when their asylum claims are denied:
==========
http://www.kerrynettle.org.au/600_media_sub.php?deptItemID=90
Today the Senate supported a motion moved by The Greens calling on the
Government to end the forced deportation of Iranian asylum seekers, in
light of evidence that returnees continue to be at risk of
imprisonment, torture and death once back in Iran.
Senator Nettle also tabled a letter to the senate she received from
Iranian detainees following a recent visit to the Villawood detention
centre in Sydney.
?The Iranians I have met are in genuine fear of their lives, and no
wonder considering the continuing appalling human rights record of the
Iranian regime.
?At least four Iranians returned to Iran from Australia have been
reported as missing with one suspected of being killed.
?An asylum seeker returned from Turkey to Iran was arrested and
executed, and yet the Australian Government continues to keep secret
its deal with the Iranian government relating to the return of asylum
seekers detained in Australia...?
==========
I hope this information fully meets your needs. If anything here is
not clear -- or if you need additional information -- let me know by
posting a Request for Clarification, and I?ll be happy to assist you
further.
pafalafa-ga
search strategy -- Google search on: ?human rights? Iran |
,
0 Comments
)