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Supplementary Report: the Threat of Genocide to the Bahá’Ís of Iran

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Supplementary Report: the Threat of Genocide to the Bahá’Ís of Iran Supplementary Report: The Threat of Genocide to the Bahá’ís of Iran Current to: 20 September 2010 Threat Level: High The Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention This document is a supplement to the Preliminary Assessment: The Threat of Genocide to the Bahá’ís of Iran, 15 May 2009. It summarizes critical events and developments concerning Iranian Bahá’ís from May 2009 to September 2010. Expanded profiles are also provided for relevant non-state actors. table of contents 1.0 domestic developments ...............................................................................1 2.0 international relations developments ....................................3 3.0 non-state actors profiles ...............................................................4 3.1 Ansar-i Hizbullah ..................................................................................4 3.2 Hojjatieh ...................................................................................................4 3.3 Niruyeh Moghavemat Basij .................................................................5 4.0 conclusion and threat assessment .................................................6 endnotes ............................................................................................................9 1.0 domestic developments due to an anticipated resurgence of protests, 1 the mobilization of US and Israeli naval forces The Iranian political environment has become (see section 2.0 International Relations Devel- more volatile since the disputed re-election opments below), or both, remains to be seen. of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on 12 In the face of economic sanctions, the Ira- June 2009. The re-established administration nian government has proposed tax increases has taken firm and controversial measures which have disappointed the merchant class against political, religious, and public oppo- within the country, further contributing to sition, and has also attempted to censor the overall tensions.7 Furthermore, fears of a mili- media and block communications pertaining tary strike by either the US or Israel still loom to civil unrest, protests, and the government over the country. response.1,2 The Bahá’í community is one of the many For example, it has been reported that groups that have received state-sponsored Majid Saeedi, a freelance photographer for blame for the civil unrest of 2009. Positive de- Getty Images arrested in 2009, has been sen- pictions of the Bahá’í community in the media tenced to three years in jail for taking photo- have also faced strict censure, as a long-stand- graphs of the 2009 election protests. Saeedi was ing Iranian newspaper was decommissioned for apparently jailed for sending photographs of publishing a picture of a Bahá’í temple.8 This the protests to foreign media outlets.3,4 was allegedly in violation of article 12 of Iran’s The security environment within Iran has Print Law, which forbids any form of media become increasingly tense. Terrorist activities coverage viewed as contrary to the current have been reported, and a Sunni rebel leader theocratic order.9 has been executed on the charge of “Enmity to- The government continues to label Bahá’ís wards God,”5 a term used to denote those who with dehumanizing epithets, and have also main- commit crimes against the Islamic Republic. tained accusations linking the community to Clearly, religion and national security remain foreign adversaries (especially Israel and the firmly intertwined in the minds of Iranian lead- United States) and particularly with foreign ers. On 20 June 2010 there were citizen reports media outlets.10 via Twitter of increased military activity in Iran As early as 31 March 2010, a Bahá’í represen- which were corroborated by the Human Rights tative to the United Nations, Diane Alai, re- Activists News Agency. ported that at least fifty Bahá’ís in southern This news came around the first anniver- Iran have been restricted from leaving the sary of one of last year’s bloodiest protests.6 country. Alai explained that Bahá’ís teaching Whether the alleged military mobilization is poor youth in suburban areas were arrested in 20 september 2010 2 A farm building belonging to this family in Fars Province was burned down one night while they slept. Arson attacks against the homes and vehicles of Bahá’ís are a common occurrence across Iran. Image source: Bahá’í Community of Canada 2006 even though their educational program Hilary Clinton.12 It was reported in mid-September had no ties to the Bahá’í Faith or the promotion 2010 that the initial sentence had been reduced of their beliefs. The reason for the travel ban is to ten years.13 The reason for this reduction in unclear.11 sentence is unclear. The seven Bahá’í community leaders im- Other recent developments show a con- prisoned in 2008 and later charged with sistent pattern of anti-Bahá’í persecution de- seditious and heretical activities have now spite international pressure and human rights concluded a series of trial hearings that began advocacy. on 12 January 2010. The trial was marked by For example, a Bahá’í citizen named interference from religious and government Hossein Shayegan, whose home was searched authorities. in February 2009, had his business shut down For example, the third hearing, which took without notification in early 2010. When place on 12 April 2010 was adjourned due to Shayegan and his lawyer were directed to pres- the presence of non-judicial parties, which the ent documents in court they were both detained Bahá’í leaders and their legal representation and transferred to the Gohardasht Prison.14 protested. Other arrests occurred in the town of Vilashahr The Bahá’í leaders were ultimately sentenced in Isfahan Province involving Bahá’í educators to twenty years in prison, a decision which re- whose homes were also searched.15 ceived much condemnation from human rights Further incidents have occurred in Isfahan, organizations as well as US Secretary of State where fifteen Bahá’í students of the Industrial supplementary report Management Institute were expelled, suppos- The government of the United Kingdom also edly to “combat discrimination.”16 A Bahá’í issued a statement regarding the most recent missionary has also been criticized by the Bahá’í trial hearing, pointing out that “This state-run media17 and several Bahá’í citizens trial comes at a time when we are remembering are awaiting compensation for the demolition the human rights abuses surrounding the elec- of their homes.18 Most troubling was an inci- tions in Iran a year ago.”22 The Iranian govern- dent on 4 September 2010 in which a Bahá’í ment has rejected these criticisms as mere storefront was defaced with the slogans “Death political ploys against the country.23 to the Israeli Bahá’í” and “Death to the Israeli Iranian nuclear ambitions currently domi- Bahá’í spy.”19 nate international relations for the country. It Of particular note is the recent desecration of is widely believed in the international com- 3 two Bahá’í cemeteries. It is unclear who carried munity that Iranian efforts to enrich uranium out this action, but it is suspected that there is are intended to produce a nuclear weapon. some degree of state complicity due to the fact This concern has led to several rounds of talks that complaints made to the government regard- and sanctions, as well as a proposal brokered ing this incident have been ignored and that a by Brazil in which Turkey would hold Iranian truck driver who had blocked access to one of nuclear material in trust to ensure that it is the cemetery sites admitted he was following only used for civilian purposes. indirect orders from the Borujerd Municipality. However, growing pressure from the There is a history of systematic destruction of United States has prompted Brazil to end its Bahá’í burial sites in Iran.20 involvement. The Brazilian foreign minister announced that the country would “no longer seek to settle the dispute after the US rejected 2.0 international relations a Turkish-Brazilian deal with Iran to exchange development half Tehran’s stockpile of enriched uranium for nuclear fuel for a research reactor.”24 Iranian responses to international pressure The recent domestic developments in Iran have have been obstinate. Iran recently refused ac- further weakened its relations with the interna- cess to its nuclear infrastructure for two UN tional community. There has been widespread inspectors25 and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad international condemnation of human rights has accused US President Barack Obama of abuses, including the persecution of Bahá’ís, interfering in Iranian affairs following calls for but this has been mainly rhetorical in nature greater democracy in Iran.26 and the issue is generally overshadowed by The news of non-compliance with nuclear other concerns, such as those surrounding the inspection follows a series of sanctions which Iranian nuclear program. have already begun to adversely affect Iranian Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper banks.27 Sanctions on Iran have been either has “urged Iran to respect the rights of its drafted or enforced at the European Union, UN, Bahá’í community and cease persecuting it, and US levels and include trade and travel bans. discriminating against it and detaining its Attempts have also been made to prevent other members.”21 Harper further noted that Iran has countries from cooperating with Iran. made no progress in addressing the legitimate A US special envoy recently cautioned aspirations of its people and that its regime has Pakistan against engaging in a gas pipeline deal become more repressive. with Iran.28 At the time of this writing, however, 20 september 2010 Pakistan intended to follow through with the political assassinations. The Ansar-i Hizbul- deal in spite of any warnings. lah rose to prominence after an attack on the US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates has Tehran University dormitories in July 1999. In characterized military developments in Iran as response to a peaceful protest, and acting in a progression towards tyranny. He has accused concert with members of the police, the group the Iranian government of sidelining its reli- beat students and chased them back to their gious figures and creating “a much narrower- dorms.
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