wfn.org | Baha'i news: Trial of seven Baha'i leaders in Iran looms

[Sally Weeks <sweeks@bwc.org>]

>Baha'i World News Service
>http://news.bahai.org
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>Trial of seven Baha'i leaders in Iran looms

GENEVA - Recent developments in Iran have raised grave concern about the ul timate fate of the seven Baha'i leaders who are scheduled to go on trial ne xt Tuesday.

"The Baha'i community in Iran has all too often been subjected to campaigns  of vilification and false charges devised to deflect the attention of a di squieted population onto the Baha'is and away from those in power," said Di ane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community representative to the United  Nations in Geneva. "And now, in these days leading to the trial, there are  signs that once again the Baha'is are being made scapegoats.

"Rather than accepting responsibility for the turmoil in the country, the I ranian government seeks to lay the blame on others, including foreign power s, international organizations and media outlets, students, women, and terr orists. Now the Baha'is have been added to this long list of alleged culpri ts," she said.

"Over the past several days, Iranian state-sponsored media have accused the  Baha'is of being responsible for the unrest surrounding the holy day of As hura," said Ms. Ala'i. "This is clearly aimed at rousing public sentiment a gainst the seven Baha'is being held in Evin prison. We are particularly con cerned that the government, or ultraconservative elements within it, may us e the turmoil in Iran as cover for extreme measures against these wrongly i mprisoned individuals.

This concern deepened on Sunday, she said, when authorities rounded up 13 B aha'is from their homes in Tehran, took them to a detention center, and tri ed to get them to sign a document saying that they would not engage in any  future demonstrations.

"Putting two and two together, the situation facing these Baha'i leaders i s extremely ominous. We are deeply concerned for their safety.

"We expect their trial to be nothing but a show trial, with a predetermined  outcome," she said.

"Should anything happen to any of these seven Baha'is before or after the t rial, the Iranian government must be held responsible," said Ms. Ala'i. "We  ask that the international community indicate clearly to Iran that it will  be watching and that it expects any trial to be public and held in accorda nce with internationally recognized principles of due process."

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 arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held i n Evin prison ever since.

Official Iranian news accounts have said the seven are to be accused of "es pionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against  the Islamic republic." All of the charges are utterly baseless, said Ms. Al a'i.

Trial dates were previously announced for July, August, and October but wer e postponed each time. In December, lawyers were notified that 12 January h ad been set as a new date.

Ms. Ala'i noted that persecution of Baha'is in Iran had intensified steadil y throughout 2009. Currently, some 48 Baha'is are imprisoned, and many othe rs across the country have been subjected to home searches, confiscation of  personal property, and revolving-door arrests. Since last March, some 60 B aha'is have been arrested and imprisoned for periods ranging from overnight  to several months.

An anti-Baha'i campaign in the news media campaign has also continued, she  said, culminating in the absurd accusations last week that Baha'is were inv olved in provoking the recent civil unrest on the Ashura holy day on 27 Dec ember.

The semiofficial Fars News Agency, for example, reported the next day that  Ne'mattollah Bavand, described as an "expert" in political affairs, said "B ahaism under the leadership of Zionism is behind the latest crisis and unre st."

Ms. Ala'i said these statements have raised concern among the Baha'is that  there may be a coordinated effort to introduce these false accusations at t he upcoming trial.

Among the 13 arrested on 3 January were relatives of two of the imprisoned  leaders, including Negar Sabet, daughter of Mahvash Sabet; Leva Khanjani, g randdaughter of Jamaloddin Khanjani; and her husband, Babak Mobasher. Other s arrested were Jinous Sobhani, former secretary of Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, and  her husband  Artin Ghazanfari; Mehran Rowhani and Farid Rowhani, who are br others; Nasim Beiglari; Payam Fanaian; Nikav Hoveydaie and his wife, Mona M isaghi; and Ebrahim Shadmehr and his son, Zavosh Shadmehr.

For more information and for a photograph, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/745