OUNCIL OF EUROPE
CONSEIL DE L' EUROPE
18 January 1982 Doc. 4835
PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
REPORT -
on persecution in Iran (1)
(Rapporteur: Mr DF.JARDIN)
I. DRAFT RESOLUTION
presented by the Political Affairs Committee (2)
The Assembly,
1. Recalling its Resolution 712 (1979), on the situation in Iran, in which
it denounced and condemned very numerous cases of disregard of the. law,
arrests, sumn ary verdicts, executions and discriminatory measures, tolerated
if not encouraged by the authorities of this United Nations member country;
2. Recalling Europe's hopes, expressed after the fall of the police state
represented by the rule of the Shah, of find:irig in a democratic Iran a
partner to which it would be bound by the same principles of individual
freedom, political freedom and the rule of law;
3. Alarmed at the wave of terror which instead continues to engulf Iran
where, according to MINESTY INTERNATIONAL, more than 3,350 people — including
many children — have been executed since the revolution in February 1979;
_______________________
(1) See Resolution 712 (1979), Docs. 4733 and 4749.
(2) Adopted by the committee on 15 January 1982 by 17 votes to 0 and 1 abstention.
Members of the committee : MM Urwin (Chairman), Leonard, Reddemann
(Vice—Chairmen), MM Alegre, de Azevedo , Batlirier, Baumel,
Sir Frederic Bennett , van den Bergh (Alternate: van Eekelen) , ournias
(Alternate: Frangos), Budtz , Calamandrei, De Poi, Dejardin , Lady Fleming,
MM Gessner, Grima, Hesele, Kurt Jung, Sir Anthony Kershaw (Alternate:
Lord Reay), NM Krieps, Kristjansson, Lied , •Lidbom, Lopez Henares ,
Mondino (Alternate: Amadei), Richard MUller , Schleiter, Sj nel1, Spénale ,
Steiner, van Waterschoot, Wilhelm , Yanez—Barnuevo (Alternate: Baeza) .
NB. The names of those who took part in the vote are underlin d -.
‘3 492 Secretaries of the committee NM Massie and Palmieri BP0003 1 7
Doe. 4835 11 —
4. Shocked by the maltreatment of children, women and old people and the
inhuman pressures brought to bear on them, to the point of demanding that
parents denounce their own children;
5. Concerned about the growing fanaticism of young people and press
reports of grave exactions against members of the Episcopalian, Jewish and
other communities because of their religious Convictions and practices and
of their lawful links with their co—religionists in western countries;
6. Noting that the victims of executions, usually after summary trials,
cannot, in most cases, be regarded as traitors, counter—revolutionaries or
political opponents, but simply belong to ethnical, philosophical or
religious minorities, such as the Baha'i community, or whose morals are
deemed to be not entirely in accord with the fundamentalist precepts of
Ayatollah Khomeiny;
7. Recalls the commitment by Members of the UNO, in ratifying the United
Nations Charter) in connection with the practice of tolerance as laid down in
the Preamble, and with “the universal andindividual respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms for all without discrimination on the grounds of
race, sex, language or religion” specified in Article 55 of this Charter;
8. Repeats its hope that the sufferings of the Iranian people will soon
come to an end, and that they will find peace based on respect for elementary rights;
9. Notes with regret the inadequacy of the means of influence or persuasion
of governments of Council of Europe member states with regard to the present
Iranian rulers;
10. Resolutely supports the attitudes of the Sub—Commission on Prevention
of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights), which has, inter alia, urged the Secretary General
of the United Nations to remind the Government of the Islamic Republic of
Iran of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, ratified by that state, with a view to preventing further
attacks on the life and rights of minorities, as well as the resolutions
adopted by the European Parliament on 19 September 1980 and 10 April 1981;
11. Expresses its solidarity towards persons and communities, including the
Baha'i community, who are unjustly treated or persecuted;
12. Calls upon the Iranian authorities to extend to the Baha'i community
the constitutional guarantees with respect to religious, ethnic and philosophic
minorities included in the new Iranian Constitution;
13. Calls upon the governments of the Council of Europe member states to
utilise every possible opportunity, including European Community and United
Nations channels, with a view to convincing the Iranian Government of the
necessity to respect the law and international conventions to which it is a
party, guaranteeing the security of persons and their property, as well as
their individual rights and fundamental freedoms.
.1.
— 1 — Doc. 4835
II. EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
by Mr Dejardin
1. The origins of this report
1. The Political Affairs Committee whose general terms of reference also
include respect for human rights in the world, prepared a report on the
situation in Iran (Doc. 4398), presented on its behalf by Mr Lemoine. The
debate before the Assembly on 11 October 1979 led to the adoption of
Resolution 712, paragraph 5 of which reads as follows:
“Gravely concerned at the deterioration of the political situation in
Iran, and condemning the disregard of the law, mass arrests and summary
verdicts, executions, discrimination against women, violation of the
freedom of the press and freedom of speech and failure to respect the
people's right to express their views in free elections”.
In the same text the Assembly expressed the hope that:
“It will not be long before Europe is able to find in a democratic Iran,
a partner linked to her by shared principles of individual liberty,
political freedom and the rule of law”..
2. This report in fact preceded the affair of the American hostages which
was fortunately solved in January 1981. Nevertheless, the problem of the
rule of law in Iran remains a matter of great concern for democratic Europe,
since it really seems that the citizens of Iran have no guarantee that
proper legal procedure will be followed in their relations with the authorities
or dominant groups.
The fate of the Baha'i community, the largest religious minority in Iran,
with 300,000 members, had already been considered by the Political Affairs
Committee in September 1980, at the time when, for its part, the European
Parliament adopted a resolution on the matter on 19 September 1980, (cf Appendix I).
The committee did not, at the time feel able to propose a debat.e before the
Assembly, but a number of its members signed Written Declaration No. 88
(Doc. 4622) in which they declared themselves “scandalised at the systematic
campaign of persecution” directed against the Baha'i community and “equally
concerned at the gross violations of human rights inflicted UpOn other
minorities in Iran, including Jews, Roman Catholics and Anglicans”.
3. At the same time, a member of the Assembly, Mr Mercier, asked, in a
written question to the Committee of Ministers, “What steps the member govern-
ments intended to take to put an end to the indescribable persecution of the
Baha'i community”. The reply, dated 2 April 1981 (Doc. 4700) expressed the
hope that “action taken by the Secretary General of the United Nations will
succeed in improving the lot of those involved”. Such action was a follow—up
to a resolution expressing the profound disquiet of the Sub—Commission on
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights (Appendix III). A further written question (No. 244,
Doe. 4798), was tabled by Mr Hardy and others on 7 October 1981. In it the
signatories asked what action had been taken by the Committee of Ministers and
by national governments in regard to the persecution of members of the Baha'i
faith in Iran. The reply of the Committee ofMinisters dated 25 November 1981
is appended (ApperidiA V).
.1.
Doc. 4835 — 2 —
4. Unfortunately, their lot did not improve. Indeed, the opposite was the case,
and when the Political Affairs Committee resumed its examination of the matter
at its meeting in Vaduz on 14 and 15 September 1981, its file included a further
motion for a recommendation (Doc. 4733) presented by Mr van Waterschoot and others,
recommending that “the Committee of Ministers invite the governments of the member
states to bring this matter to the attention of the General Assembly of the United
Nations”, and a motionfor a resolution (Doc. 4749), presented by Mr Hanin and
others, proposed that the governments of the member states should make direct
approaches in order to ensure that an end was put to persecution. Following
a first reading of this report by the Political Affairs Committee on
17 November 1981, the Standing Committee, meeting the following day,
adopted a press comthuniqud (see Appendix IV).
2. Deterioration of the situation on the ground
5. The unfortunate Iranian people are still not enjoying peace, tolerance
or freedom, and the country continues to suffer from the effects of outside
pressure (the war begun by Iraq in September 1980) and open civil war, owing
to the resistance to the Chi'ite power of Ayatollah Khomeiny and the Islamic
Republican Party, notably by the Mudjahiddin, and, in particular, the tenacious
struggle of the Kurds for self—determination.
6. The assissination, in two spectacular bomb attacks, of a President of
the Republic, Au Radjai, and his Prime Minister, Mohamed Bahonar (30 August)
and Ayatollah Beheshti, President of the Supreme Court and a number of other
Ministers and prominent members of the party in power (28 June), has
engendered an atmosphere of fear and hatred which has led to a ruthless hunt
for traitors and scapegoats. The first anniversary of the war against Iraq
was highlighted by a blood bath and the execution on 18 and 19 September alone
of 180 opponents of the regime, including 51 boys and 30 girls. A new General
Prosecutor of the Revolution, 1-lodjatolesham Tarizi, called for even more
summary procedure against all those taking part in armed uprisings against the
authorities (by urging the latter to execute demonstrators arrested during
the day on the same evening and finish off the injured) (1).
7. In a moving account of his own experience, the Iranian journalist,
Siarouch Bachiri, described the procedures of an Islamic Tribunal, presided
over by Ayatollah Khalkhali (in April 1980) (2):
“As soon as dawn broke, the Pasdarans unloaded whole lorry loads of
prostitutes, homosexuals, drug addicts, ‘counter—revolutionaries' , grand
bourgeois, Baha'is, former officers etc. Mohamad Rezvani (3) prepared a joint
file for each ‘consignment'. The only thing missing opposite the names was
the sentence. Khalkhali took care of that. The door of the chamber opened:
immediately the Pasdarans pushed at least 20 prisoners in, most of them arrested
for drug peddling. You were not allowed to speak or even give your
Rezvani went up to Khalkhali, whispered a few words in hIs ear, and ‘in the
name of Almighty and Nerciful God', the Ayatollah pronounced the sentences;
immediate execution, life imprisonment, terms of 10, 20, 30 years' imprisonment.
This mockery of a trial lasted for between 3 and 5 minutes. ”
________________________ .1.
(1) Le Monde, 22 September 1981.
(2) “Iran”: “ Un condamnd raconte”, l'Express, 25 September 1981
(3) An “Inquisitor of Islamic justice”.
— 3 — Doc. 4835
8. According to an Amnesty International communiqué, dated 12 October 1981,
at least 3,350 people have been executed in Iran since February 1979. Of the
1,229 known executions in the world as a whole in 1980, 709 took place in
Iran.
The Iranian PARS Agency responded on 25 October 1981 by maintaining
that “more than 1,000 officials and activists of the Islamic Revolution have
been killed since mid—June by agents of America in Iran”. As far as the
Ayatollah Moussari Ardebili, President of the Supreme Court, is concerned
“the number of executions is not high”, thus implying that the figure is in
proportion to the offences committed.
9. If the world as a whole is particularly disturbed at the lOt of the
Baha'is (some 60 members have been executed since February 1979), that is
because as the months passed it became clear that this community was more
vulnerable than the other religious minorities. The most recent resolution
adopted by the European Parliament on 10 April 1981 (see Appendix II),
“strongly urges the Iranian Government to grant the Baha'i community
recognition and protection of rights already granted to the Christian, Jewish
and Zoroastrian minorities”.
10. Since the Baha'i community has branches in a number of Western countries
including the United States, and the Baha'i World Centre is in Israel (where
it was established at the end of the 19th century, after the death of the
founder Baha'u'llah in 1892; thus long before the foundation of the Hebrew
state), the Baha'is are often accused, without the slightest justification,
of being the “enemies of Islam” and the “agents of Zionism”.
11. In fact, “the conduct of the Baha'i community in Iran was characterised
under the old regime as under the present Islamic Republic of Iran by its
loyalty and faithfulness towards the government in power and. also by the fact
that it abstained from all political activities. The principle of refusing
any political post is so fundamental that, under the Pahiavi regime, a
Baha'i who had accepted a post as Minister was expelled from the Baha'i
community” (1).
Admittedly, the present regime in Iran might regard the fact that the
Baha'i faith grants men and women the same rights, privileges and responsibi1it e 5
as a provocation. The Baha'i faith is an “independent world religion which,
despite its Islamic roots and although it originated in a Muslim country, differs
as much from Islam as Christianity does from Judaism” (1). That is why it is
regarded as a radical sect and not recognised in the same way as the Christian,
Jewish and Zoroastrian religions.
.1.
(1) “The Baha'is in Iran”. A report on the persecution of a religious
minority, published by the Office of the Baha'i International Community
at the United Nations, June 1981.
Doc. 4835 — 4 —
12. The very special persecution to which the members of the Baha'i faith
are being subjected has assumed such proportions that it smacks of real
“genocide”. In fact such persecution is not confined to the exclusion of
all legal protection, summary arrests, sham trials and the summary execution
of the leaders; it includes the confiscation and destruction of all
resources and all means of subsistence, including arbitrary dismissal from
work and bans on employment. There is ample evidence to confirm the
existence of a real “crusade” of violence to force the Baha'is to renounce
their faith, going as far as the destruction of monuments and burial grounds.
13. The campaign for the systematic elimination of the Baha'i minority was
recently taken a step further, mainly in country areas, by the confiscation
of the property and belongings of executed persons, depriving widows and
children of their homes; by the kidnapping of young girls whose parents are
without news of them and by the dismissal of pupils from schools and students
from universities, because of their religious convictions.
In August 1981 the Ministry of Education published a directive under
which the authorisation to transfer money in foreign currencies to Iranian
students abroad would only be granted for students who belonged to one of
the religions officially recognised in Iran — a measure which deprived
Baha'is studying abroad of the money needed to complete their studies.
At the same time, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic
Republic of Iran addressed a confidential note to all consular posts
(reference 17/533—10/4462 of 21.5.1960, ie 12.8.1981) saying that:
“On the date of this circular, all our representatives are required to
prepare carefully a list of the names of all Baha'is living within
their area and the names of counter—revolutionaries, particularly
so—called students. These lists must be addressed to us. Our
representatives will not renew the passports of these persons. They
will only be issued with a ‘laisser—passer'”.
In a recent decree, the terms of which were published on
30 September 1981 by the daily paper Kayhan , the Ministry of Education listed
the crimes for which teachers and students would be banned from employment
or enrolment in Iranian universities. One of the “crimes” listed is
membership of what is called “the deviant and heretical sect” — that is to
say, the Baha'i religion.
14. The position of the Baha'i minority in Iran today can only be compared,
mutatis mutandis, with the Jews in Nazi Germany just before the “final
solution”.
15. As for the situation of members of other religious minorities, according
to Amnesty International, the British and Iranian members of the Episcopal
Church who were interned, have apparently all been released, whilst the
Co—ordinating Committee of Jewish Organisations in Brussels states that it
has no knowledge of the persecution of Jews simply because they are Jews in
Iran. It has been established that members of the Jewish community have
been convicted and even executed, but that was allegedly for offences under
common law which had nothing to do with their religious convictions. Authorised
Jewish sources refuse to furnish more detailed information, perhaps because
there may be negotiations with the Iranian leaders with a view to permitting
the Jews to emigrate from Iran.
.1.
— 5 — Doe. 4835
16. It is a fact that religious fanaticism is such in Iran today that no
member of a faith other than the Islamic Chi'ite denominationis completely safe.
That also applies to atheists and agnostics. It is hardly necessary to add
that Freemasonry is banned at present, as is always the case under dictatorE fl
or totalitarian regimes; the “children of light” are never tolerated by
obscurantism!
17. For the sake of historical accuracy, it must also be stated that, as
Professor Ann K S Lambton wrote in “The Times” on 12 September 1980, under
the regime of the Pahievis, the status of Christians and other minorities was
that of second class citizens whose existence was tolerated but not encouraged.
The writer also points out that the methods of persecution differ little from
those practised for many centuries, whilst the accusation of espionage was
always made against anyone who had contacts abroad. Moreover, it was Reza Khan
— the first of the Pahievis — who, in order to consolidate his coup d'etat of
12 December 1925, and win the sympathy of the Ulemas, had the constitution
amended by giving the head of the ayatollahs the right of veto in the case of
laws which might conflict with Islam.
18. The persecution of the Kurdish people must be seen in the same c ntext
of the “Pahlevi dynasty's” thirst for power. Actually, the origin of this
problem is to be found in the context of the collapse of the Ottoman empire,
as a result of which, under the Treaty of Sevres, 10 August 1920, the Kurds
were granted recognition of their rights and ciffered prospects of a Kurdish
autonomous state. That treaty was never implemented owing to the armed
opposition of Mustapha Kemal Atatiirk in Turkey. Actually, the Kurdish problem
exists in four states: Turkey,Iraq, USSR and Iran. The treaty of Lausanne,
of 24 July 1923 dashed the hopes of an autonomous Kurdish state by fixing the
present frontiers of Turkey. Since that time, the Kurds' determination, and
frequently their armed uprisings, has enabled them to obtain, notably in the
USSR and Iraq, a special autonomous status and respect for their cultural
values. That was never the case in Turkey, whilst in Iran, the support given
by the Kurds to the overthrow of the Shah led them to hope that their lot would
be other than the massacres and razzias organised against them by the integrist
Islamic militia.
19. It is tragically clear that there is no longer in Iran today any
coherent authority which effectively governs the country and the people, but
only various dominant groups all claiming to be followers of Ayatollah Khomeiny
and all propagating the most fundamentalist interpretation of Chute Islam.
Their common denominator is the blindest dogmatism and sectarianism.
It is increasingly difficult today to see who decides what; which
complicates the situation even further and is plunging the entire country into
an abyss of disorganisation and economic stagnation.
20. Furthermore, the disenchantment of the people, who see no practical
realisation of the hopes raised by the overthrow of the Shah, but instead a
wave of repression as cruel as existed before, is certainly encouraging the most
influential religious leaders to offer them “scapegoats”, such as the Baha'is
or the Kurds.
.1.
//
Doc. 4835 - 6 -
21. It is clear that this situation is unlikely to bring peace or security
to this part of the world, already greatly disturbed by the external conflict
between Iran and Iraq and the occupation of Afghanistan by Soviet forces.
It is becoming increasingly essential to seek the best ways and means
of encouraging the establishment of political stability, based on a democratic
system which will be in full conformity with the principles set out in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
3. The role of the international community
22. On 9 September 1981, the Sub—Commission on Prevention of Discrimination
and Protection of Minorities of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
adopted, by l votes to 5 abstentions, a further resolution (see Appendix III),
urging the Secretary General to continue his efforts to persuade the Iranian
Government to prevent further attacks on the Baha'i community and grant it
religious freedom.
23. The European governments seem reluctant to intervene directly. In the
European Parliament, questions were put to the Chairman in Office of the
Ministers for Foreign Affairs on 14 October 1981. In reply to his compatriot,
Mr Prag, who asked what action had been taken in response to the two resolutions
adopted in September 1980 and April 1981, the British Minister, Mr Douglas Hurd,
said: “We do not wish to take any action which would further endanger the
Baha'is position. We therefore feel that action through the United Nations
would be the more effective way of alleviating the situation and certain member
governments of the Ten are pursuing this approach.”
Furthermore, when replying to a question in Parliament by Mr Valkeniers,
on 2 September 1981, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium stated that:
‘The Belgian Government has alwa:'s devoted close attention to this problem.
It wishes to point out that already on 16 March 1979 it approved the resolution
in which the European Parliament expressed its deep concern at the summary
verdicts and executions which continued to occur in Iran, and since that time
it has repeatedly approached the Iranian authorities on behalf of members of
ethnic and other minorities whose basic rights were apparently not being
respected. The Belgian Government shares the concern of its partners in
the European Community. In the context of European political co—operation,
the ‘Ten' regularly hold consultations concerning the persecuted minorities
in Iran and they encourage any action or intervention which might improve their
lot.''
24. In any case, it appears that the Secretariat General of the United Nations
is scarcely displaying greater determination that the Europe of the “Ten”,
whilst traditional diplomatic methods are proving regrettably ineftectual.
That is why a number of members of our Assembly have suggested the adoption of
special embargo measures in respect of Iran if such persecution were to continue
(cf Document 4749).
25. Apparently, the international democratic community is looking on powerlessly
whilst democracy is waning in the world and situations involving the flagrant
violation of human rights are constantly increasing in number, whether this be
in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran or elsewhere.
.1.
— 7 — Doc. 4835
26. It is for the governments of the member countries and the organs of the
Council of Europe, including our Assembly, to seek effective ways of exerting
pressure and influence in order to check this development and see to it that
every human being enjoys the right to freedom of belief or non—belief, to
think, work, read and write, to have enough to eat, in short to safeguard his
dignity as a human being.
- I.
Doc. 4835 8 —
APPENDIX I
RESOLUT ION
on the persecution of members of the Baha'i community in Iran
(adopted 19 Septemier l9di)
The European Parliament ,
— recalling its unfailing attachment to international protection of human
rights,
— recognising in particular the need to protect the rights of religious
minorities in all countries,
— concerned at the systematic campaign o persecution directed in Iran
against the 300,000 members of the Baha'i community (the biggest
religious minority in Iran) and the accompanying violations of elementary
human rights, in particular:
a. the refusal of any legal protection to the Bahati minority,
b. the summary arrest, detention and execution of leaders of the
Baha'i community,
c. the confiscation or destruction of the resources and means of
subsistence of the Baha'i and the arbitrary dismissals or refusals
to employ Baha'is
d. the threats and acts of violence against the Baha'is in an attempt
to force them to repudiate their faith,
1. Condemns the violation of the human rights of all religious minorities
in Iran, more particularly the members of the Baha'i faith whose
rights as a religious mi rity are not recognised by the Iranian
constitution;
2. Calls upon the Government of Iran to grant the Baha'i community the
legal recognition and protection to which all minorities are entitled
under the provisions of the various UN pacts and conventions on human
rights;
3. Also condemns the illegal measures taken against Catholic and Anglican
leaders and the execution of leading members of the Jewish community;
4. Calls upon the Foreign Ministers of the European Communities meeting
in political co—operation to make urgent representations to the Iranian
authorities to put an end to the persecution of the members of the
Baha'i community and to allow them to practise their religion freely
and enjoy all civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights;
.1.
— 9 — Doc. 4835
5. Requests the Commission and Council to impose an embargo on all sales
of surplus agricultural products to Iran where subsidies by European
taxpayers are involved until full human rights are restored to Iranian
citizens
6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Foreign
Ministers meeting in political co—operation, to the Government of Iran,
to the governments and parliaments of the member states and to the
Secretary General of the United Nations.
Doc. 4835 - 10 -
APPENDIX II
RESOLUTION
on the persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran
(adopted on 10 April 19d1)
The_Europe nParliameflt
— recalling its resolutions of 19 September 1980 on the persecution of
members of the Baha'i community in Iran,
— alarmed at the escalation of violence and the campaign of persecution
directed at the Baha'i community., which is the largest religious minority
in Iran,
— pointing out that this section of the population has no legal protection,
aware of the fact that two members of this community were executed on
15 March 1981 merely on account of their activities within that community,
— condemning the purely arbitrary arrest and detention of individuals,
— concerned at the disappearance of nine members of the Baha'i national
administrative council in Iran,
1. Condemns the violation of the human rights of all religious minorities
in Iran, in particular the rights of the Baha'i minority, which is not
recognised as such by the Iranian constitution;
2. Strongly urges the Iranian Government to grant the Baha'i community the
recognition and protection of rights alreadygranted to the Christian,
Jewish and Zoroastrian minorities;
3. Calls on the Foreign Ministers meeting in political co—operation to
make the necessary representations to the Iranian Government as soon
as possible to secure the release of members of the Baha'i community
currently in detention merely on account of their religious be1 fs
and to prevent any persecution of and discrimination against the Baha'i
minority in Iran;
4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Foreign Ministers
meeting in political co—operation and to the Iranian Government.
.1.
4
— 11 — Doc. 4835
APPENDIX III
COMMISSION ON HtThIAN RIGHTS OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Sub—Commission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection
of Minorities
(Thirty—fourth session)
RESOLUTION
(adopted in ( eneva on q Sentember 1981)
The Sub—Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,
Welcon4pg the adoption by the Commission on Human Rights at its thirty—
seventh session and by the Economic and Social Council at its first regular
session of 1981 of a Draft Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of
Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief,
lin its resolution 10 (xxxiii) in which it expressed its profound
concern for the safety of the members of the Baha'i community in Iran and
requested the Secretary General to invite the Government of Iran to grant fu]i
protection of fundamental rights and freedoms to this religious minority
Having now heard statements clearly demonstrating the systematic
persecution of the Baha'is in Iran, including summary arrests, torture, he itings,
executions, murders, kidnappings, disappearances, abductions, and many other
forms of harassment,
Convinced that the treatment of the Baha'is is motivated by religious
intolerance and a desire to eliminate the Baha'i faith from the land of its
birth,
Concerned that the Government of Iran appears to have ignored all previous
approaches made on behalf of this community,
1. Expresses its profound concern for the perilous situation facing this
religious community;
2. Appreciates the efforts already made by the Secretary General on behalf
of this community;
3. Urges the Secretary General to continue his efforts to persuade the
Government of Iran to prevent further attacks on the Baha'i community
and to grant them religious freedom;
4. Draws the attention of the Commission on Human Rights to the perilous
situation faced by the Baha'i cominunityof Iran and requests the Secretary
General to submit all relevant information about the treatment of the
Baha'is in Iran to the Commission on Human Rights at its thirty—eighth
session.
.1.
Doc. 4835 — 12 —
A P P E N D I X IV
THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF TIlE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
CONDEMNS THE PERSECUTIONS IN IRAN
(24 November 1981)
The 21 nation Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly',s Standing
Committee expressed its horror at the scale of human rights violations in
Iran. According to Amnesty International figures issued last month, since
the February 1979 revolution at least 3,350 persons have been executed,
often after the most summary of trials or no trials at all. The victims
are frequently members of ethnic, religious or philosophic minorities,
including the 3 00 ,0 0 0—strong Baha'i Commmunity, whose situation is made
more precarious by the fact that it does not benefit even from the nominal
constitutional protection afforded to other minority religions. In violation
of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by
Iran, several young people below the age of 18 and even children have
been executed.
The Standing Committee, which speaks in the name of the Assembly, which
will be debating persecution in Iran at its next public session, expressed
its solidarity with the Iranian people and called upon member governments,
both individually and through international organisations, to do everything
in their power to convince the Iranian authorities to accord due process
of law to its citizen, to respect international conventions and to stop
the executions.
.1.
S
- 13 - Doc. 4835
APPENDIX V
REPLY BY THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
TO WRITTEN QUESTION NO. 244 BY MR HARDY AND OTHERS, MEMBERS OF
THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ASSEMBLY, ON THE PERSECUTION OF THE MEMBERS
OF THE BAHA'I FAITH IN IRAN
(25 November 1981)
The Committee of Ministers and the governments of member states are
deeply concerned by reports about persecution of members of the Baha'j
community in Iran for their religious beliefs. They deplore the fact
that the fundamental rights of that community and of its members are
not safeguarded in Iran.
The committee supports the endeavours of the United Nations to
improve the lot of the Baha'i community ‘and calls for an intensification
of those endeavours as an expression of the international community's
concern at the violation of the physical integrity and freedom of
persons by reason of their membership of a religious community.
With this in mind, the Committee of Ministers and the governments of
the member states Support the Secretary General of the United Nations in
the execution of the mission entrusted to him on 10 September 1981 by
the Sub—Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
Minorities' of the Commission on Human Rights to “Continue his efforts
to persuade the Government of Iran to prevent further attacks on the
Baha'i community and to grant them religious freedom”.
The Committee of Ministers will follow the development of events
closely and attentively. It would be a matter of deep concern if, at
the next session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in
February 1982, it was not possible to report a considerable improvement
in the position of the Baha'i community in Iran.
The committee requested the Secretary General of the Council of
Europe to communicate the foregoing to the Secretary General of the
United Nations.
