Persecution of Iran’s Baha’is ramped up

Persecution of Iran’s Baha’is ramped up: threats to “uproot”, prison sentences and psychological pressures.

Iran ramps up persecution of Baha'is at an alarming rate. At least 71 Baha'is in Birjand, Yazd, Karaj, Ghaemshahr, Shiraz, Kermanshah and Isfahan have been targeted in recent weeks.

All during an escalating health pandemic, new threats to "uproot the community" in Shiraz have occurred. An unprecedented number of prison sentences of occurred sending Baha'is back to jail despite the ongoing health risk. Among all this, there has been surge in hate speech against Baha'is in the media. 40 Baha'is in Shiraz were summoned to court, some threatened, and were sentenced to 1-3 years imprisonment, solely for the beliefs.

These incidents are "shocking and profoundly troubling", demonstrating the "religious bigotry and prejudice the Baha'is in Iran face" says Bani Dugal, the Baha'i Internation Community's UN representative in New York. The are intended to "intimidate the Baha'is, placing heavy psychological pressures on those directly targeted, as well as their families and all Baha'is in Iran". "All Baha'is facing discrimination are innocent and must be free of religious persecution."