wfn.org | Baha'i news: Trial of seven Baha'is delayed, no new date set

[Sally Weeks <sweeks@bwc.org>]

>Baha'i World News Service
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Trial of seven Baha'is delayed, no new date set

GENEVA, 18 October (BWNS) - Although the trial of seven Baha'i leaders impr isoned in Iran for more than 17 months was scheduled for today, when attorn eys and families arrived at the court offices in Tehran they were told it w ould not take place. No new trial date was given.

"The time has come for these seven innocent people to be immediately relea sed on bail," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's repres entative to the United Nations in Geneva.

"The seven, whose only 'crime' is their religious belief, are once again in  legal limbo, held with no idea of the legal process ahead of them. The who le charade cries out for an end to their unlawful detention," she said.

The seven are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Nae imi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. V ahid Tizfahm.

Official Iranian news accounts have said the seven are to be accused of "es pionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against t he Islamic republic." They have also been charged with "spreading corruptio n on earth."

Last week, it appeared likely that the trial would indeed be postponed agai n, since attorneys for the seven had not yet received the proper writ of no tification.

"The fact that their attorneys did not receive proper notification and that  there is no new date for the trial is just one among many gross violations  of Iran's own legal procedures, not to mention the violations of due proce ss recognized by international law, that have marked this case from the beg inning," said Ms. Ala'i.

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