Iran Announces Trial of Baha段 Leadership
The Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) announced today that charges had been laid against the seven imprisoned members of the national-level committee that coordinates the activities for the Iranian Baha'i community. The report quoted deputy Tehran prosecutor Hassan Haddad as having said "the case will be sent to the revolutionary court next week" and that these Baha'is are accused of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic." Agence France Presse (AFP) has posted the following piece, Iran to try Bahais for spying for Israel.
The Baha'is deny categorically these charges. No evidence against them has been brought to light. The seven members of a national Baha'i coordinating committee were arrested in March and May of 2008 and have been held in Tehran's Evin Prison. At no time during their incarceration have they been given access to their legal counsel, Mrs. Shirin Ebadi. Mrs. Ebadi has been harassed, intimidated, and threatened since taking on their case and has not been given access to their case files. The prosecution of the leaders is just one step in a 30-year-long systematic campaign orchestrated by the government to eliminate the Baha'i community as a viable entity in Iran, the birthplace of the Baha'i Faith. Documentary evidence exists on this campaign, http://iran.bahai.us/documents.
At this time, some thirty other Baha'is are imprisoned in Iran solely on account of their religion. Close to eighty more Baha'is have been required to post deeds of property and business licenses as collateral for bail. They have likewise been falsely charged and are awaiting trial.
For further information, please visit http://iran.bahai.us
Contact: Kathleen Holmlund, Media Relations Officer of External Affairs, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the U.S ., USBahaiMedia@usbnc.org, (202) 833-8990
Published on: 2009-02-12
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