BIC press briefing on ten women and 6 men martyrs and situation of Baha’is in Iran

          
          PRESS BRIEFING
          New executions of Bahá'Is in Iran
          Husbands, wives, teenage daughters among latest victims
          of religious fanaticism
          Gerald night, A1 ernate Representative of the
          Bah '1 International Cou tunity to the United Nations,
          will brief corres dents on the latest develo n ents in the
          religious persecution of Bah '1s inIrari and the role of the
          United Nations in resolving “the grave human rights situation
          prevailing in that country, including the SitUatiOn of the Bah ' Is” *
          *paragraph 3 of reiission on Human Rights resolution 1983/34
          Thursday 2.3 June 1983
          3.00 pm
          UNCA Club
          Third Floor, Secretariat Building
          United Nations Headc-.iarters
          Sponsored by the United Nations Correspondents Association
          For further inforz ation please contact Baha' International Co=usity,
          United Nations of fice, 866 United Nations plaza — tel. (212) 486—0560
          BPOOOi9O
          
        

          
          BAHAI INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
          866 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA • NEW YORk, N.Y. 10017.tj.S.A.
          Csble: BAI4AINTCOM NEWYORK - Telex: 666365 BICNY
          (212) 486.0560
          Representative
          to the United Nations
          Dr. Victor de Araujo
          Attemate Representative
          Mr. Gerald Knight
          TEN WOMEN AMONG SIXTEEN BAIIA'I VICTIMS OF RELIGIOUS E) CUTIONS IN IRAN
          Ten women, ranging in ages from 18 to 51 , were among the sixteen Bah tI victims
          of summary executions carried out on 16 and 18 June 1983 by the fanatical
          religious authorities in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. The sixteen
          were among the over 80 Bah 'Is arrested in Shiraz in late 1982. They were held
          in prison without charges while severe pressure was put upon them to recant
          their faith and embrace Islam. When they refused to recant, they were condemned
          to death without trial. The executions were carried out late at night, without
          prior warning, and the authorities have so far refused to hand. over the bodies
          of the victims to their families for burial.
          The following Bahg'ís were executed by hanging during the evening of 16 June
          1983:
          Dr. Bahram Afnan (1 8), a prominent physician
          Mr. Bahram Yalda'i (23), a student
          Mr. Jamshid Siyavushi (39), a merchant
          Mr. ‘Inayatu'llah Ishraq i (60), a retired oil company officer
          Mr. Kurush Haqbin (27), an electrical technician
          Mr. ‘Abdu'l-Husayn Azadi (60), a Health Ministry employee
          Accredited in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
          Associated with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)
          
        

          
          Two days later, during the evening of 18 June 1983, the authorities executed by
          hanging ten Bah 'I women — some of whom were related to previous victims of
          summary executions. The ten executed on 18 June were:
          Mrs. Nusrat Yalda'i (5)4), mother of Bahram (hanged 16 June)
          Mrs. ‘Izzat Janami Ishraqi (50), wife of ‘Inayatu'llah (hanged 16 June)
          Miss Ruya Ishraqi (early 20's), daughter of the above
          Mrs.. Tahirih Siyavushi (32), wife of Jamshid (hanged 16 June)
          Miss Muna Mahmudnizhad (18), daughter of Yadu'llah (hanged in Shiraz on
          12 March 1983)
          Miss Zarrin Mu imi (early 20's)
          Miss Shirin Darvand (early 20's)
          Miss Akhtar Thab t (19)
          Miss Simm Sabiri (early 20's)
          Miss Mahshid Niruinand (18)
          All sixteen victims of these latest religious executions in Iran were well—known
          Bah 'Is who had been imprisoned solely because of their Bah 'I activities. In
          the case of the ten women, these activities were concerned largely with the
          education of children. It is known that the ten women underwent long interroga-
          tions in prison and were warned that they would be subjected to force if they
          did not agree to sign prepared documents of recantation. All ten preferred to
          die rather than. recant their faith.
          In the light of these latest outrages, the Bahg.' International Coi unity is
          gravely concerned for the safety of the approximately 200 Bahg.'Is currently held
          without charges in Iranian prisons and, in particular, for the 60 or more Bahg' s
          still in detention in Shiraz.
          —2—
          
        

          
          In February 1983, the religious authorities in Shiraz publicly anno mced that
          22 of the many Bahg.'I prisoners in that city had been condemned to death and
          that the sentences had been approved by the Supreme Court of Iran. In order
          to exert the maximim psychological pressure on the Bah .'i community. th
          authorities declined to reveal the names of those condemned to death.
          Following the announcement, urgent appeals for commutation of the death
          sentences were made to the Government of Iran by the United Nations Secretary -
          General, by the hwnan rights organs of the United Nations, by concerned
          Governments th:roughout the world and, most recently, by the President of the
          United States. Al_i these appeals have gone unheeded and, since March 1983,
          a total of nineteen Bah 'Is have been summarily executed in Shiraz. It is,
          of course, impossible to confirm whether or not they were among the 22 whose
          death sentences were announced in February.
          The 22 February 1983 issue of the Iranian daily newspaper “ abar—i--Junüb”
          carried a report of an interview with the President of the Islamic Revolu-
          tionary Court of Shiraz, during which he was asked for his comments on the
          Bah 'Is and on the death sentences recently handed down by the court. In the
          course of his reply, the judge stated:
          t 'It is absolutely certain that in the Islamic Republic of Iran
          there is no place whatsoever for Bah .'Is and Bahaism . . . Before
          it is too late, the Bah 'Is should recant Bahaism, which is
          condemned by reason and logic. Otherwise, the day will soon come
          when the Islamic nation will deal with them in accordance with
          its religious obligations, as it has dealt with other hypocrites
          who have appeared in more dangerous garb and have satanic
          religious gatherings.
          — 3-.
          
        

          
          On 8 March 1983, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted a
          resolution in which it expressed its concern at the continuing persecution of
          the Bah 'I minority and requested the Secretary—General to continue direct
          contacts with the Government of Iran on the human rights situation in that
          country, including the situation of the Bah ' s. On 10 March 1983, the
          European Parliament adopted a resolution which focused specifically on the
          22 condemned Bah ' s and appealed for clemency. Two days later, three Bahá'Is —
          two men and a woman — were summarily executed in Iran.
          Since the start of the Islamic Revolution, 1141 Bahá'Is (including 31 in Shiraz)
          have suffered death because of their religious beliefs. Fourteen more have
          disappeared without trace. Countless others have been assauited, driven from
          their homes, dismissed from their jobs and deprived of all their Possessions.
          BaM'i students have been refused admission to schools and universities.
          Hundreds of Bah 'is, both men and women, have been imprisoned without charges.
          The Bah 'i International Community publication “The Eah ' s in Iran: A Report
          on the Persecution of a Religious Minority” (second edition) chronicles the
          persecutions suffered by the Bah 'I community from the start of the Islamic
          Revolution to July 1982. In the months following publication of that document,
          the persecutions have continued in all parts of Iran and have included the
          following incidents:
          —it—
          
        

          
          Five Bahá'Is condemned to death in Shiraz (23 September)
          offered their lives by the judge if they would agree to recant.
          All five refused. (Three later executed.)
          Fifty Bah '1s in Saysan subjected to violence and abuse for
          16 days, finally forced to sign prepared documents of recanta-
          tion.
          October 1982: Start of mass arrests in Shiraz, culminating in imprisonment
          of 85 Bahg'Is.
          Bah I prisoners in Shiraz beaten, deprived of their prayer
          books, ordered to recite only Muslim prayers.
          November 1982: Mr. Habibu'llah Awji summarily executed in Shiraz (i6 November)
          Mr. Ziya'u'llah Ahrari summarily executed in Shiraz (21 November)
          (Both condemned on 23 September)
          December 1982: Fanatical mobs in Q,umsar, near Kashan, harassed Bahg.'Is and
          set fire to Bahg.'I properties.
          January 1983: Mr. Hidayat Siyavushi summarily executed in Shiraz (i January)
          (Condemned on 23 September 1982)
          Mrs. Guldanib ‘Alipur (in her 6 0 's) attacked by a fanatical mob
          in the remote village of Sari, Mazindàran, strangled and her
          body burned (10 January)
          —5—
          
        

          
          0
          February 1983: Two Bahá s condemned to death in Shiraz. (One of them —
          Dr. Bahr Afnan - was executed on 16 June 1983.)
          1 '1arch 1983: 1' r. Yadu'llah Ma miudnizhad, Mr. Rahmatu'llah Vafa t i and
          Mrs. Tuba Za'irpur executed by hanging in Shiraz (12 March)
          April 1983: Surimary arrest of all nine members of the local ah '1
          administrative council of Zahidan (29 April)
          May 1983: Mr. Suhayl Safa i and Mr. Jalal Hakiman summarily executed
          in Teheran (i May). Both involved in the education of
          Bah6.'I children.
          June 1983: Six men, ten women summarily executed by hanging in Shiraz
          (16 and 18 June). Full details earlier in this report.
          During the past eleven months, scores of Bah ) s have been summarily arrested
          in various parts of Iran and are being held without charges while intense
          pressure is put upon them to recant their faith and embrace Islam.
          Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the Iranian Government is
          persisting in its denial that Bah 'Is are being persecuted in Iran because of
          their religious beliefs.
          20 June 1983
          —6--