June Demolishment of 50 Bahá'í Homes in Ivel Continues to Receive Press

Baha'is In Iran Await Justice For Demolished Homes, Graves

Posted: 11 Sep 2010

Ferdosieh Nikoumanesh

(9 Sep 2010 – Radio Free Europe) Ferdosieh Nikoumanesh remembers a time when she and her family could live in peace as practicing Baha'is in the Iranian city of Ivel, where more than 50 Baha'i homes were demolished in June. Her childhood home, her grandparents' home, and her grandfather's store were among the many properties burned to the ground. Nikoumanesh and her husband now live in a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Nikoumanesh spent many of her childhood summers in Ivel, northeast of Tehran in Mazandaran Province, visiting her grandparents, who lived in the village until 1983.

She left Ivel when she was a little girl but still holds many memories of living alongside practicing

Ivel, Mazandaran, Iran

Muslims. Baha'is have resided in Ivel for more than 160 years and once made up more than half of the population — building schools, a hospital, and stores.

While her family's homes and shop were destroyed this summer, her memories remain alive.

"The best part of the summer was with my grandparents. The feelings I have toward the land [in Ivel] are because of how my grandparents took us there and showed us how to experience its generosity," she said.

She recalled raising livestock, picking flowers in the rich landscape, and having candlelit dinners over storytelling.

The current Iranian government made no apparent efforts to prevent the destruction of the Baha'i homes last June, nor has an investigation been launched into who orchestrated the demolition, despite efforts by the Baha'i community to seek justice.

On August 12, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued her strongest statement yet in support of the Baha'i community and in opposition to Iran's repression of religious minorities. "The United States is deeply concerned with the Iranian government's continued persecution of Baha'is and other religious minority communities in Iran," Clinton said in a statement. "The United States is committed to defending religious freedom around the world, and we have not forgotten the Baha'i community in Iran."

While the United States may have stepped up its criticism, the people of Ivel have yet to find justice for the loss of their homes.

The home, since destroyed, of the grandparents of Ferdosieh Nikoumanesh. "The best part of the summer was with my grandparents," says Ferdosieh Nikoumanesh.

"Two Baha'i men from Ivel — Faramarz Rohani and Mahmood Piri — sent letters and complained to the courts in Saari, Kia Sar, and Telma Dare. None of them gave the right response," said Nikoumanesh. "They even said since this order was from the higher courts, nothing could be done."

While the international community has spread awareness of the issue and many Muslims in the country oppose the destruction of Baha'i property, the government has done little to respond.

"Recently, there have been many attacks on Baha'i homes, cemeteries dug up, and sites of worship destroyed," said Shastri Purushotma, the human rights representative for the U.S. Baha'i community. "But how can 50 houses be demolished without some prior arrangement to do that level of demolition? We don't have documents showing the government was behind it, but all of these things need planning, heavy equipment, and government support."

Nikoumanesh hopes to one day return to Ivel but knows the dangers she would face if she visited anytime soon. She and many members of the Iranian Baha'i diaspora continue to push for accountability in acts of vandalism toward Baha'is.

"My grandparents have passed, but we children still have faith in being able to return to Ivel and re-experience good moments of our childhood we had there," she says.

She then recited a poem written by Ali Ahmadi on the destruction of homes in Ivel:

"Oh, home, you
are still alive
even if it's not
within your walls
within our hearts you are."

– Ladan Nekoomaram & Sarvazad Katouzian

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Bahais_In_Iran_Await_Justice_for_Demolished_Homes_Graves/2153322.html

From Iran Press Watch. Link to this article is here.

Scotland Religious Leader Adds Voice to Protests Against Sentences of 7 Bahá'ís

A further signal victory for justice - Archbishop of Scotland, head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland, demonstrates solidarity with the plight of the leaders of a different faith.

Scottish Catholic leader condemns treatment of Iran's Baha'i leaders

Posted: 26 Aug 2010

LONDON, 26 Aug – Baha'is in Scotland and throughout the UK have welcomed a statement issued by Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland.

Cardinal O'Brien strongly condemns the unjust imprisonment of seven leaders of the Baha'i community in Iran. His statement reads:

Having been united in prayer with seven Baha'i Leaders, who were arrested more than two years ago in Iran, I deeply regret the news that these leaders have now been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

I am happy to join in the recent statement issued by William Hague MP, Foreign Secretary, on this matter and regard what has happened as being a most appalling transgression of justice and at heart a gross violation of the human right of freedom of belief.

Unfortunately, I myself cannot be at the forthcoming vigil of protest on Saturday 28 August 2010 by the St Mungo Museum in Cathedral Square, Glasgow, but I unite myself in prayer for those of the Baha'i faith who are suffering at this present time in Iran and also to the many other peoples of goodwill who are suffering for their faiths in other parts of the world.

+ Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh

"We are grateful that Cardinal O'Brien has once again spoken out in defence of the Baha'is in Iran," said Allan Forsyth of the Baha'i Council for Scotland. "We are heartened that leaders of Scotland's faith communities are so willing to demonstrate inter-faith solidarity and support in times of stress."

From Bahá'í News UK

Awareness of Plight of Persecuted Baha'is in Iran Seen in Statement from US Representative

A well-informed message from a House Representative of Nevada in defense of the Baha'is in Iran in general and the imprisoned 7 Baha'i former leaders in particular.

Nevada Representative in Support of Iran's 7 Baha'i Leaders (Letter Excerpt)

Reno4Iran activists received a letter from Nevada Representative Dean Heller regarding the persecution of Baha'is in Iran. An excerpt of the letter (which was typed and snail-mailed originally) is below. Thanks to all those in positions of power that continue to voice their concerns for the people of Iran and pressure the IRI to adhere to its international human rights obligations.

"As [I've] mentioned before, the Iranian government is an oppressive regime that withholds basic liberties from it's citizens.  The persecution you mentioned involving members of the Baha'i faith is horrible and must end.  As you may know, in 2006 Iran's Armed Forces Command Headquarters ordered the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard, and the Police Force to identify members of the Baha'i Faith in Iran and monitor their activities.  In that same year, the largest roundup of Baha'is took place since the 1980's.  The Iranian Interior Ministry ordered provincial officials to "cautiously and carefully monitor and manage" all Baha'i social activities.  The Central Security Office of Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology ordered 81 Iranian Universities to expel any student discovered to be a Baha'i.

"In 2007, the situation worsened.  More than two thirds of the Baha'is enrolled in universities were expelled once identified as Baha'is.  Police entered Baha'i homes and businesses to collect details on family members.  Twenty-five industries were ordered to deny licenses to Baha'is.  Employers were pressured to fire Baha'i employees and banks were instructed to refuse loans to Baha'i-owned businesses.  In November 2007, three Baha'i youths were detained for educating underprivileged children.  The following month, the Iranian Parliament published a draft Islamic penal code, requiring the death penalty for all "apostates"- a term applied to Baha'is and any convert away from Islam.

"Again, this government-sponsored religious and political persecution must end.  Every Iranian should be able to live without fear of religious, political, and economic persecution in Iran.  The Iranian government should ensure policies are enacted that would protect the freedoms of all of its citizens…I look forward to working to ensure both political and religious liberties are promoted within Iran."

Source: United4Iran

Shirin Ebadi Laments "Irregularities" in Yaran Trial Culminating in Sentences

The prominent rights group International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran speaks out regarding the recent sentencing of the Yaran.

Iran: Appeals Court Should Overturn Unjust Sentencing of Baha'i Leaders

Shirin Ebadi: Trial "Riddled with Irregularities"

(10 August 2010) Seven leaders of the Iranian Baha'i community, each of whom has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on security, espionage and other crimes, should be freed by an appeals court, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

"We consider the arrest, detention, trial, and sentencing of these individuals to be politically motivated, discriminatory, unjust, and illegal under Iranian and international law," said Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign.

"They have been sentenced for being Baha'is, nothing else, and their incarceration thus expresses a policy of oppression of the Baha'i Faith and its members," he said.

The seven Baha'i leaders, who were arrested in the spring of 2008, include Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm. They had been jailed for 20 months prior to being charged and denied contact with their attorneys. The sentences will reportedly be appealed.

In January 2010, in the context of the Ashura protests of December 2009 and those that had followed the June 2009 presidential election, charges against the detained Baha'i leaders were expanded. State-controlled news media claimed Baha'is had masterminded the protests, although no evidence has been produced to prove the allegations.

Shirin Ebadi, who defended the seven Baha'i leaders, told the Campaign that her clients' prosecution was "riddled with irregularities."

"As their lawyer, I should have had access to my clients from the time of their detention and I should have known of the charges against them. But I was not allowed to see them," Ebadi said. She also pointed out that given the advanced age of the Baha'i leaders, their 20-year prison sentence is effectively life imprisonment, as it unlikely they will survive beyond their prison term.

Members of the Baha'i Faith in Iran number approximately 300,000, making them the largest non-Muslim religious minority group. In recent years the persecution of Baha'is has intensified to include cemetery desecration, arbitrary detention, home raids, property confiscation, work expulsion and denial of basic civil rights. Iranian Baha'i youth continue to be denied the right to higher education, and any university found to have Baha'i students is ordered to expel them. Baha'i professionals are denied government jobs and face discrimination from private businesses because of their faith. Even those who come to their defense are targeted. Shirin Ebadi has come under fire for taking up the case of seven Baha'is listed above.

According to the Baha'i International Community, there are currently 47 Baha'is in detention throughout Iran. Baha'is released on bail have been ordered to pay exorbitant amounts. For example, Aziz Samandari and Jinous Sobhani, a former secretary at the Defenders of Human Rights Center, were released on 11 March 2009 on bail of 700 million Rials (approximately $73,000). Didar Raoufi, Payam Aghsani and Nima Haghar were released on the same day and ordered to pay the same amount. Shahrokh Taef was released six days later on 17 March 2009 having paid the same amount in bail.

Diane Ala'i, of the Baha'i International Community, told the Campaign that as the Baha'i Faith is classified as an "illegal group," many of the jailed Baha'is "are accused of acting against the country's national security or participation in illegal groups, or teaching the Baha'i Faith."

"All Baha'is are in danger of arrest," she said.

Listen to the Weekly Iran Rights Podcast at:

http://www.iranhumanrights.org/category/podcast/ 

 

For the latest human rights developments in Iran visit the Campaign's website at www.iranhumanrights.org

Iran Sentences Innocent Yaran to 20 Years' Jail, Say Reports

 

A situation that can only hone the skill of patience among the millions of spectators to another farce of a verdict.
 

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou beholdest my perplexity, and the depth of mine anguish, and the agony of my soul, and the afflictions which beset me. By Thy glory! My heart crieth to Thee by reason of the things that have befallen my loved ones in Thy path...

And now I implore Thee, by the eternity of Thy Self, to enable me to be patient in these tribulations which have caused the Concourse on high to wail and the denizens of the everlasting Paradise to weep, and through which all faces have been covered with the tawny dust provoked by the anguish that hath seized such of Thy servants as have turned towards Thy Name, the Most Exalted, the Most High. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the Inaccessible, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

(Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers, p. 165-6)

The virtues and attributes pertaining unto God are all evident and manifest, and have been mentioned and described in all the heavenly Books. Among them are... forbearance, resignation to whatever the Almighty hath decreed, contentment with the things His Will hath provided, patience, nay, thankfulness in the midst of tribulation, and complete reliance, in all circumstances, upon Him. These rank, according to the estimate of God, among the highest and most laudable of all acts. All other acts are, and will ever remain, secondary and subordinate unto them….

(Gleanings, p. 290)

 
 

Reports say Iran's Baha'i leaders "sentenced"

 

The seven Baha'i prisoners, photographed several months before their arrest, are, in front, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet.

 

8 August 2010

NEW YORK — The Baha'i International Community has received reports indicating that seven Iranian Baha'i leaders have each received jail sentences of 20 years.

The two women and five men have been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since they were arrested in 2008 – six of them on 14 May and one of them two months earlier.

"If this news proves to be accurate, it represents a deeply shocking outcome to the case of these innocent and harmless people," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.

"We understand that they have been informed of this sentence and that their lawyers are in the process of launching an appeal," said Ms. Dugal.

The prisoners – Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm – were all members of a national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Iran's 300,000-strong Baha'i community, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority.

The trial of the seven consisted of six brief court appearances which began on 12 January this year after they had been incarcerated without charge for 20 months, during which time they were allowed barely one hour's access to their legal counsel. The trial ended on 14 June.

The defendants were accused of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and the establishment of an illegal administration, among other allegations. All the charges are completely and categorically denied.

 
Source: http://news.bahai.org/story/786
 
Photos Copyright Bahá'í International Community. View here.

 

The Guardian: Article Alerting to Destruction of 50 Homes, Persecution of Baha'is in Iran

Attack on Iran's Baha'i is a Human Rights Outrage

Posted: 17 Jul 2010

The destruction of 50 Baha'i homes demonstrates the Iranian government's disregard for its international obligations

Written by Barney Leith for the Guardian

The homes of 50 Baha'i farming families were razed in Ivel, Iran on 26 June. Photo: Baha'i World News Service

["]The governor general is like a physician … if he feels that there is a malignant tumour in the body of the society, he tries to remove it." Such was the official explanation given to Natoly Derakhshan, a Baha'i from the village of Ivel in Mazandaranprovince, Iran, after the homes of 50 Baha'i farming families were razed in Ivel on 26 June.

If farmers strike you as an unlikely tumour in a country that earns 20% of its GDP from agriculture, then perhaps you do not know the story of the minority Baha'i faith in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Razing the Baha'i homes in Ivel is the latest step in an ongoing campaign. Baha'i farmers left Ivel several years ago because of local harassment and persecution. They return once a year to harvest their crops. This exercise of their basic rights to live in peace and work their land has nevertheless required permits from the provincial government. And now their property and livelihoods have been destroyed altogether.

Speaking to Radio Farda, the Persian-language station of Radio Free Europe, Derakhshan was asked whether the locals who demolished the Baha'i homes had government support. "We do not know and cannot say that it was ordered by someone," he said. But Derakhshan asked questions of his own. "What do you think?" he asked. "How could 50 homes be demolished without prior arrangements?" Derakhshan was told that letters of complaint the Baha'is had written to the authorities were "in opposition to the regime".

In Mazandaran, as in much of Iran, the persecution of the Baha'is is nothing new. "Baha'is have lived in this area for more than 100 years," said Diane Alai, representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "But in 1983, a few years after the Iranian revolution, at least 30 families from this and neighbouring villages were put on buses and expelled." In the same period, over 200 Baha'is have been executed or killed, hundreds have been jailed, and tens of thousands have been denied their livelihood or an education.

Today 35 Baha'is are imprisoned, among whom are the seven former leaders of the Iranian Baha'i community, arrested in 2008 on allegations of espionage, propaganda and "corruption on earth". These charges warrant death under Iranian law. Their counsel, the Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, has said that "there is nothing, no reason" to convict the seven Baha'is. They have been held in Evin prison, "under conditions which clearly violate international standards" according to Bani Dugal, the principal representation of the Baha'i International Community to the UN. "They have neither beds nor bedding," she added, are permitted only two hours of fresh air a week, and are crammed into cells that restrict movement. Family contact is usually restricted to a 10-minute phone call once a week.

The treatment of the Baha'is in Iran is an outrage, a constant violation of human rights and an example of the Iranian government's disregard for its international obligations. At its root lies a religious fanaticism that seeks to grind away the 300,000 Baha'is of Iran. Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire, veteran of Rwanda and Canadian senator, recently warned his senate that the "state-sanctioned persecution" of the Baha'is in Iran resembles "a nation leading its way into a potential genocide". The Baha'is are the largest religious minority of Iran but their faith is denied by the constitution. Despite being branded as apostates and spies, no Baha'i has ever been found plausibly guilty of the crimes with which they are accused. In the words of the founder of the Baha'i faith, Baha'u'llah, Baha'is are enjoined to work for "the good of the world and the happiness of the nations". In Mazandaran, both those hopes have been razed to the ground.

Source: Only Democracy for Iran, http://www.onlydemocracy4iran.com/2010/07/09/attack-on-irans-bahai-is-a-human-rights-outrage/

From Iran Press Watch
 

Nine Closed Court Files Reopened in Renewed Efforts to Persecute Baha'is

From Iran Press Watch.

Arrest of two Baha'i citizens in order to carry out their court order

Posted: 21 Jul 2010

Mashhad (literally, "the place of martyrdom") is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world.

15 July 2010 [24 Tir 1389]

HRANA News – Two Baha'i citizens, residing in Mashad, have been arrested in order to carry out their court order for prison [sentences].

HRANA reports that Nassrin Ghadiri and Sima Rajabian, who had been previously (2005) sentenced by the Khorasan Province Razavi Review Court to a 2-year limited prison [sentence], on 15 July 2010 introduced themselves to the Circle of Court Order Implementation, were [summarily] arrested and [then] transferred to the Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad.

The files of these two Baha'i citizens, related to their arrest in [2005], had been declared closed. But in keeping with [the increased persecution] on Baha'is [over the past year] the files of these two, along with seven other Baha'is, have [lately been reopened]. These 9 Baha'i citizens had been sentenced to 2 to 5 years of punitive imprisonment by the Mashad Revolutionary Court.

[Out of] these 9 Baha'is, [two], Nahid Ghadiri and Davar Nabilzadeh, have so far been transferred to Vakil Abad Prison in Mashad [to serve] their 5-year prison sentences."

Translation by Iran Press Watch (slightly edited - Editor)

Sources: http://www.hra-news.org/1389-01-27-05-24-07/2744-1.html

http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/6227

BBC - Homes (50) of Baha'is Bulldozed in Northern Iran

BBC news is on the job with news of the relentless forces of fanaticism attacking the Baha'is of Iran, now in the village of Ivel. Read the full story here. Official accounts from the Baha'i International Community available 

here

here and here.

Images taken from a video, shot on a mobile telephone in the village of Ivel, show fiercely burning fires and several Baha'i-owned properties reduced to rubble.

IDDLE EAST

Iran's Bahai community fear rise in persecution Posted: 04 Jul 2010 By Kasra Naji BBC News First there are the images of wooden beams on fire. Then buildings come into view, some without windows and doors, others reduced to rubble. The shaky mobile phone footage posted on YouTube by Iranian human rights activists shows scenes of destruction filmed secretly from inside a car. The activists say the footage shows the results of an attack on the properties of Bahai residents in Ivel, a village in northern Iran. They also say that non-Bahai residents supported the demolitions. Bahai groups outside Iran have also received eyewitness reports from Ivel. The witnesses said that several days before the bulldozers moved in, some people in the village signed a petition demanding the expulsion of their Bahai neighbours. Many Bahais had left already: a number of families had fled previous attacks on Bahai property in Ivel. In 2007, for example, six houses were torched. However, this time the Bahais left in the village complained to the police in the nearest town, Kiasar. The police denied that there was a petition against them and refused to provide any protection. The reports from Ivel residents say that by June 22, almost 50 houses belonging to Bahais had been flattened.

Iran Press Watch 

The village of Ivel, Mazandaran

Imprisoned Human Rights Activist Demands Respect, is Granted Release

The prison experiences of Navid Khanjani, champion of equal educational rights for Iranian citizens. Read the full article here. 

The Interrogation of Navid Khanjani

Posted: 05 Jun 2010

The Interrogation of Navid Khanjani

Navid Khanjani, after his release from prison.

(CHRR, 3 June 2010) – Navid Khanjani is a founding member of PCED (Population of Combat against Educational Discrimination, an Iranian advocacy group defending educational rights) as well as a member of CHRR (Committee of Human Rights Reporters, an Iranian human rights group). He has been banned from continuing his university education because of his Baha'i faith. Khanjani was arrested in Isfahan on March 2, 2010, before being moved to Tehran a day later, where he was placed in Ward 2A of the IRGC run Evin Prison. On May 3, 2010, Khanjani was released from Evin Prison after posting bail. The following is the English translation of an interview with Navid Khanjani conducted by PCED, where he explains in detail the illegal and inhumane interrogation methods that were used by intelligence authorities and the IRGC to force him into making televised confessions. 

Editor's note: CHRR stands for: Committee of Human Rights Reporters, an Iranian human rights group PCED stands for: Population of Combat against Educational Discrimination, an Iranian advocacy group defending educational rights HRA-Iran stands for Human Rights Activists in Iran, an Iranian human rights group.

First of all, Mr. Khanjani, were you ever indicted during your detention, and, if so, could you elaborate on the charges that were leveled against you?

Yes, I was indicted 3 days after my arrest. I was arrested on March 2, and on March 5, I was taken before Mr. Kiamanesh at the 3rd unit of the Evin magistrate court. I was indicted for anti-regime propaganda activities, anti-national security actions through active membership in human rights groups (HRA-Iran), and having ties to the MKO through the intermediary of HRA-Iran. ...

Mr. Khanjani, during your detention in Ward 2A, were you ever placed in solitary confinement, and, if so, can you tell us for how long and under what conditions?

Yes, I arrived at Evin's Ward 2A on March 3, where I remained in solitary confinement until March 26. During that time, my cell was changed on 2 occasions. The first solitary cell was very small and did not have a toilet.

I was moved to another cell that had washroom facilities after I went on a hunger strike to protest my unlawful detention and the deplorable conditions of the cell. Between March 26 and May 3, I was held in a cell which I shared with 2 other prisoners, Ighan Shahidi and Sama Nourani, both of whom are Baha'is who have been deprived of a university education. I have to emphasize that my hunger strike was not only in protest to the conditions in the solitary cell, but I also wanted all my rights as an accused to be respected; it was in protest to the first day of my interrogation, during which I was blindfolded and beaten; it was in protest to my beating by the Ward 2A IRGC guard, as well as the deplorable conditions of my solitary cell. I wanted to be allowed to call my family and tell them that I was being held in Evin. On the second day of my hunger strike, my condition deteriorated, and I was taken to the infirmary. I ended my hunger strike, following the advice of the doctor and the officer on duty. Eventually, all my demands were met, and I was allowed regular phone calls. I was also moved to another cell, and my interrogator was replaced with someone who treated me in an acceptable way and conducted the sessions without blindfolding me.

Overall, I achieved my goals, and my rights as an accused were largely respected from there on.

You talked about beatings. Can you elaborate on these beatings during the detention? Do you believe that you were tortured?

Regarding the beatings, I have to say that, on the first day of my interrogation, I was beaten, insulted and cursed by the interrogators while I was blindfolded. I received blows to my shins and sides. The same day, I was severely beaten by one the guards, who pounded my head against the wall and tried to strangulate me. Later on, after my interrogator was replaced, the beatings stopped and I was treated acceptably by the new interrogator and the guards. With the exception of the guard who beat me the day of my arrival, the rest of them acted reasonably legally. Then, in mid-April, they started talking about a TV documentary and asked us to speak in front of a camera. My 2 cellmates and I refused to comply. I was assaulted in the prison yard later for not appearing before a camera and was told that I would be spending the next 6 months in solitary confinement. As to your question about whether I believe that I was tortured during my detention, I have to say that torture is not strictly physical; often, psychological torture is far worse. I have described my treatment and the events, and it is up to your readers to draw their own conclusions.

You mentioned that you were being forced to appear in a TV documentary. Can you clarify?

My interrogator... kept insisting that everyone must appear and talk in front a camera, that this was part of the normal procedures and that the films of our remarks would not be broadcast on television. I, for my part, kept refusing... It was in mid-April that they came to our cell and gave us (myself and my 2 cellmates, Ighan and Sama) a haircut and shaved our beards....

I was taken to [an] interrogation room... It was a clean, furnished room and there was a camera in front of a red chair. The backdrop was comprised of curtains and other fabrics.

They gave me a T-shirt to put on, taking away my prison uniform, and said, "Now you have to answer our questions." I did not say a word in response to their questions. When they saw that their efforts were yet again to no avail, they took me out of the room. I was then escorted to the prison yard, where someone called out my name, saying, "Khanjani, go and stand next to Nourani and face the wall." I had my blindfold on, and therefore could not see anything while I was standing next to Sama Nourani. Then, all of a sudden, I felt that I was being choked.

Someone was trying to strangulate me. When I started to asphyxiate, he then pounded my head against the wall... After they lifted me up, they started cursing and slapping me... During that time, the only thing I did was to laugh, as he kept beating and insulting me. Finally, in contrary to what they had promised, I was not taken to solitary confinement, but to my cell with Ighan and Sama. The entire TV interview charade was never mentioned again, and my interrogator was very upset when he learned about my beating. He asked me about it and promised to follow up and reprimand the person who was responsible for it. He said that he did not know about it and regretted that it had happened.

Source: Committee of Human Rights Reporters, CHRR, English, Persian

 

From Iran Press Watch. 

On the alert: US Government calls on Iran to meet International Obligations

 
From Iran Press Watch.

US condemns Iran for imprisoning Baha’is
May 16th, 2010 

US condemns Iran for imprisoning Baha’i[s]

(AFP) WASHINGTON — The United States denounced Iran on Friday over its detention of seven leaders of the Bahai religious minority who have been held for two years

• The United States “is deeply concerned about the ongoing persecution” of both Bahais and other religious minorities in Iran, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement.
  On the second anniversary of the detention of seven Bahai leaders, he said, “the United States strongly condemns their continued incarceration as a violation of due process.”
  Washington “calls on Iran to meet its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” he added.
  

Read full story from source: AFP, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iuC07fuBy5JEVwnuFUsaF5F0P-Cw
in Arabic, here: ELAPH, http://www.elaph.com/Web/news/2010/5/561295.html

 

Young Baha'is - harshly imprisoned - allowed meeting with families

 
From Iran Press Watch.

Second Prison Visit for Dorsa Sobhani & Navid Khanjani

Posted: 18 Apr 2010

Navid Khanjani

RAHANA - On Thursday April 15, the families of Navid Khanjani and Dorsa Sobhani were allowed to visit their children in prison. According to the Edu-right.us, the families of education-deprived students Dorsa Sobhani and Navid Khanjani were able to receive permits for in-person visits after following up their request at the prosecutor's office and visiting the prosecutor. Navid Khanjani was described to be in [good?] physical and emotional condition during this visit; however, Dorsa Sobhani was not in good physical condition. Navid Khanjani is a co-founder of Population of Combat against Education Discrimination and a key member of Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR). He was arrested on March 2, 2010 in Isfahan, then transferred to the IRGC-controlled ward inside Evin prison in Tehran. He has been reportedly under lengthy and intense interrogations to accept heavy charges.
A few days after his arrest, pro-government media released news titled "Members of Organized Cyber War Networks Arrested", in which they had mentioned Navid Khanjani's name along with other members of the CHRR as key convicts of that case. This incidents has raised concerns about "creating a security case" against him and other arrested Baha'i students who have been banned from education.
Dorsa Sobhani was arrested on March 7, 2010 at her house in the city of Sari in Mazandaran province. In an earlier, short phone call, Sobhani had notified her family that her "interrogations were over"; however, after 40 days there is still no information available regarding the reason of her arrest, and neither her nor Navid Khanaji's lawyer has had any access to their clients' files.

Source: RAHANA, 15 April 2010   http://www.rhairan.info/en/?p=2606,

Another prominent human rights reporter arrested in Iran

 
Among the number of stories appearing each day about the persecution of Bahá'ís and rights activists alike in Iran, here is yet another vivid example of the lengths to which the Islamic Republic will go to silence every significant voice of protest against the atrocities being perpetrating against its people.

From Iran Press Watch.

CHRR Member Navid Khanjani Arrested

Posted: 03 Mar 2010

Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR) – Student and civil activist Navid Khanjani was arrested at his home in Isfahan on March 2, 2010.

Navid Khanjani

Navid Khanjani close to Nikbakht Court as he bids farewell to his family and being taken to Evin Prison (Wed 3 Mar. 2010)

According to reports, around 11:30 pm, six security forces searched his home and confiscated his personal belongings, including his computer. Security forces had brought Navid’s sentence from the Revolutionary Court along with them.

The forces informed Navid that he will be taken to Nikbakht court in Isfahan and transferred to Evin prison tomorrow.

Navid Khanjani is a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters and founder of Population of Combat against Educational Discrimination. He is regarded as a significant figure in educational rights awareness.

Additionally, due to his belief in the Baha’i faith, Navid Khanjani was banned from continuing his education.

Currently there are a total of seven CHRR members who are detained. The names of detained CHRR members are: Shiva Nazar Ahari, Koohyar Goodarzi, Navid Khanjani, Saeed Jalalifar, Saeed Kalanaki, Saeed Haeri, and Mehrdad Rahimi

Source: CHRR: English, Persian;

Pictures from: http://www.schrr.net/print.php?articleid=8701

Source: http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/5772
 

Life as a Baha’i in Semnan: the case of Mr Hedayati

 

From RAHANA and Iran Press Watch.

 

Semnan, Iran: The small city is a fertile breeding ground for anti-Baha'i activities

Posted: 01 Mar 2010

Semnan, Iran

[Editor: Semnan seems to be a testing ground of systematic anti-Baha'i activities in form of persecution, arrests, refusal to education, and refusal of all community life including burial. Iran Press Watch has carried many stories covering these actions against the Baha'is in Semnan.]

 

The Life of Mr Hedayati, a Baha'i Resident of Semnan

 

RAHANA – Semnan, known for its carpets and textile industry, is a small city at the southern foot of the Alborz Mountains in Northern Iran. The small city is also a fertile breeding ground for anti-Baha'i activities, and the anonymity prevalent in larger cities is non-existent. Members of the city's Baha'i community are regularly harassed, their houses and businesses set on fire, and their cemetery desecrated by unidentified gangs – gangs that walk away unpunished and unprosecuted by the authorities. For their part, city and government authorities have not stopped bullying the Baha'i community, with tactics ranging from flat-out arrests and day long interrogations to refusal to issue burial permits for the deceased members of the community.
No one knows the scope of the difficulties of life as a Baha'i in Semnan better than Yahya Hedayati, who has spent over 4 years of the past decade in prison in Semnan and Tehran. His family members have not been immune to the persecution, either; the authorities after him held his father, and Hedayati's wedding had to be delayed until after his release. These are a just a few chapters of his life.
As recently as two weeks ago, his house, along with the store of another Baha'i resident, Akbar Pour Hosseini, was set on fire in the middle of the night by arsonists. The fires caused damage to the properties, and the two men plan to pursue the matter with the authorities.
Between April 9 and May 24, 2009, Mr. Hedayati's house was attacked in the middle of the night on 8 separate occasions by unknown assailants riding on motorcycles. The incidents terrorized Mr. Hedayati's family members and often involved rocks being thrown at his windows. His car's windshield was shattered on April 22, and the note left by the culprits cited his Baha'i faith as the reason for the attack. Mr. Hedayati has written to many officials, including the Prosecutor General, Dori Najaf Abadi, to complain about his treatment.
As for Mr. Pour-Hosseini, he has had his fair share of unpleasant past incidents. Prior to the recent arson and during the Ashura and Tasoa ceremonies – two of the most important mourning days for Shiites – his store windows were broken and his store sign was vandalized. Last summer, arsonists set fire to his shop and watched as the fire immolated and nearly destroyed Mr. Pour-Hosseini's workplace.
In other news, city officials refuse to issue a burial permit for Ms. Nabili, a Baha'i resident who died two weeks ago.

 

Source: http://www.rhairan.org/en/?p=1245

Wikipedia article on the city of Semnan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semnan_(city)