Parliamentary question - E-1422/2009Parliamentary question
E-1422/2009

Bahá'ís in Iran

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1422/09
by Baroness Sarah Ludford (ALDE)
to the Council

On 11 February an Iranian official announced that seven Bahá’ís who are members of an ad hoc leadership group for the national Bahá’í community in Iran will be brought to trial before a Revolutionary Court. The European Union, through the Presidency, has expressed deep concern at the grave charges against these seven Iranian Bahá’í leaders and at the fact that they may not receive a fair trial.

The Iranian Prosecutor-General, Qorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi, stated on 15 February that ‘available evidence shows that the organisation [Bahá’ís] is directly connected to foreign enemies of the Iranian nations … and their members try to collect information, carry out infiltration activities and destroy people’s belief’. A representative of the Bahá’í International Community has rejected these allegations as baseless and called for the seven Bahá’í leaders to be released unconditionally.

Has the Council pressed the Iranian authorities to make public the evidence on which they base such serious allegations and, if not, will they do so forthwith? What further representations will the Council make to ensure the safety and fair treatment of these seven Bahá'í leaders? What is the Council doing more broadly to try and secure freedom from discrimination and freedom of religion for the 300 000 Bahá’ís in Iran?

OJ C 189, 13/07/2010