wfn.org | Baha'i news: Next court date for Baha'i leaders will be 11 April

[Sally Weeks <sweeks@bwc.org>]

>Baha'i world News Service
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Next court date for Baha'i leaders will be 11 April

GENEVA - A third court date has been announced for seven Baha'i leaders imp risoned in Iran, the Baha'i International Community has learned.

The trial proceedings - begun on 12 January after the seven had been incarc erated in Tehran's Evin prison for 20 months - will continue on Sunday, 11  April, according to information conveyed orally to their attorneys.

Government-sponsored news media reported that at the first hearing, the sev en were charged with espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic o rder, the establishment of an illegal administration, cooperation with Isra el, sending secret documents outside the country, acting against the securi ty of the country, and corruption on earth.

The defendants categorically deny all accusations.

A second hearing, held on 7 February, was concerned mainly with procedural  matters.

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. They were responsible for tending to the spiritual and social  needs of Iran's 300,000 Baha'is, after formal Baha'i institutions were dis solved in 1983.

The court proceedings have come at the same time as more Baha'is have been  arrested in Tehran. About 13 individuals were rounded up on 3 January, with  10 of them still in custody, and another 13 were detained last week, with  11 of them still jailed.

There are at present more than 60 Baha'is in detention in various cities in  Iran.

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