A national newspaper report on the fate of a sister of a Melbourne Baha’i comes as fears mount that Iranian authorities are planning to jail more Baha’is.
The Australian newspaper reported today that extremely severe conditions in which Rozita Vasseghi has been jailed in Iran, including more than six months in solitary confinement, have damaged her health
In a story on page 2 of the newspaper’s 1 October 2010 edition, award-winning journalist Sally Neighbour writes that Rozita Vasseghi was jailed for five years on the charges of “teaching against the regime, taking action against national security and insulting religious sanctities”, which resulted from her allegedly distributing CDs about the Baha’i Faith.
The report quotes her sister, Melbourne author and refugee Rosa Vasseghi, as saying that the charges followed Rozita’s trip to Australia in 2008.
“Her only crime is being a Baha’i,” Rosa says.
The story says that the 70-year-old mother of the sisters was permitted to see Rozita recently but barely recognised her daughter because she had lost so much weight, was in pain and could barely walk.
The International Federation of Human Rights is campaigning for Rozita’s freedom, saying the conditions in which she has been held were “so appalling” that she was in an extremely weakened state.
The report in The Australian comes as increasing evidence indicates that Iranian authorities have been stepping up the imprisonment of Baha’is, Australian Baha’i Community spokesperson Tessa Scrine said today.
This is being done systematically but in a gradual way, seemingly to try to avoid drawing international attention to the widespread incarceration of Baha’is in Iran, Ms Scrine said.
“We have grave fears for more than 230 Baha’is who have been arrested but not yet imprisoned,” she said.
“Some Baha’is are being held in horrendous conditions,” she said.
“In addition to Rozita Vasseghi, there is the case of three young Baha’is, Haleh Rouhi, Sasan Taqva, and Raha Sabet, who have been held for more than three years in dreadful conditions despite an official report that completely exonerated them.
“The systematic official campaign to eliminate the Baha’i Community has recently involved the jailing for 10 years of seven Baha’i leaders, the arrests and imprisonment of scores of other members of the Faith, and widespread and severe harassment of the community.”