The Australian Baha’i Community is calling for the immediate release of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran, who reports indicate will be tried before the Revolutionary Court next week.
The Australian Baha’i Community is calling for the immediate release of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran, who reports indicate will be tried before the Revolutionary Court next week.
They will face false charges of espionage, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.
“We have grave fears for the safety of these innocent people, who are effectively the leadership of Iran’s biggest religious minority,” a spokesperson for the Australian Baha’i Community, Tessa Scrine, said today.
“The Australian Baha’i Community, which includes close relatives of the accused in its membership, calls for the immediate release of these Baha’is,” Ms Scrine said.
Reports from Iran and via AFP overnight indicate that the seven are to face court next week on charges of “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic”, she said.
“These charges are absurd, as the world community and the Iranian authorities well know. These individuals are innocent, law-abiding citizens who have not been involved in any partisan political activity.”
Ms Scrine said one of the seven has been imprisoned since March last year and the other six since May, and none had been charged until now.
They have had no access to their lawyer, Nobel Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi.
“Mrs Ebadi has been harassed and threatened since agreeing to take on their case, and the authorities have refused to provide her access to the case files,” Ms Scrine said.
“If the Iranian authorities refuse to release them, we call for the seven to receive access to their lawyer and for representatives of foreign governments and NGOs to be permitted to attend any trial.”
On 19 December 2008, the United Nations passed a resolution co-sponsored by Australia that criticised “increasing discrimination” by Iran against Baha’is and others.
On 29 October and twice in June 2008, Australian Government spokespeople publicly expressed their deep concern about what is happening to the Baha’is of Iran.
International organisations and governments have condemned the latest announcement. View some of the international reaction here.
Download a backgrounder for further details.
Read biographies of the seven leaders
(updated on 14 February 2009)