The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom stated in its annual report that the situation of religious freedom in Iran “has worsened.”
The commission has recommended that the U.S. government continue to identify and sanction violators of minority rights and freedom of thought in Iran.
The advisory commission, which was established by the U.S. Congress and is considered an independent and bipartisan body, stated that the Iranian government “continues to engage in targeted, sustained, and egregious” violations of religious freedoms, with examples including “long-term imprisonment,” “torture,” and “execution.”
According to the commission, since Hassan Rouhani came to power in the 2013 presidential election, this situation has “worsened,” and he has not “fulfilled the promises he made to strengthen the rights and freedoms of religious minorities.”
The Iranian president said in one of his speeches at the beginning of his presidency, “We are all subject to the constitution, and in this constitution there is no difference between followers of different ethnic groups and religions, and all the people of Iran are entitled to equal citizenship rights under the constitution.”
Iran officially recognizes Christian, Zoroastrian, and Jewish religions, and their representatives have permanent seats in the Islamic Consultative Assembly. However, on the other hand, Iran does not officially recognize religions such as Bahá’í Faith, and Iranian authorities describe it as a “misguided sect.”
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom states that according to recent statistics, 300,000 Bahá’ís live in Iran alongside other religious groups, constituting “the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran,” and over the past 10 years “nearly 850 of them have been detained.” The monitoring commission states that since February 2016 (three months ago), at least 80 Bahá’ís “have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs.”
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom states that according to recent statistics, 300,000 Bahá’ís live in Iran alongside other religious groups, constituting “the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran,” and over the past 10 years “nearly 850 of them have been detained.” The monitoring commission states that since February 2016 (three months ago), at least 80 Bahá’ís “have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs.”
Of course, the charges brought against detained Bahá’ís by Iranian judicial authorities include matters such as “connections with Israel,” which have been denied by the detainees and their lawyers.
According to the commission, Shi’a dissidents, Sunni Muslims, Sufis, and Dervishes are among other groups that continue to face “harassment and persecution,” “detention,” and “physical and psychological violence in prison.”
In 2013, hundreds of Dervishes in Lorestan Province sent a letter to Hassan Rouhani demanding immediate attention to the situation of imprisoned Dervishes. The signatories of this letter referred to security and judicial pressures of previous years and asked Rouhani to end “unlawful behavior” towards them.
Ali Yunesi, Special Advisor to the Iranian President on ethnic and minority affairs, called the treatment of Dervishes in December 2014 “regrettable” and “arbitrary action” contrary to the “interests and laws of the Islamic Republic.” However, according to him, these actions occurred in the past and have not “been repeated.”
The Religious Freedom Commission states that dozens of Sufis, Dervishes, Sunnis, or reform-minded Shi’a continue to be imprisoned
The Religious Freedom Commission states that dozens of Sufis, Dervishes, Sunnis, or reform-minded Shi’a continue to be imprisoned. The commission states that “more than 30” Iranian Sunnis have been sentenced to death on charges of “waging war against God” and Sunni citizens are unable to even build a mosque for themselves in Tehran.
Last year, a prayer room belonging to Sunni citizens in Tehran’s Punak district was demolished by “municipal officers” with support from “security forces.” This issue was met with criticism from Sunni Friday prayer leaders and “condemnation” by the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools, affiliated with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. The forum emphasized that “generalizing” this action to “the entire Islamic system and its leadership is not appropriate.”
Violations of the rights of Christians and Christian converts, attacks on their churches, and the imprisonment of “approximately 90” of them “due to religious beliefs” are among other cases mentioned in the 2016 report.
According to the commission, “one positive development seen in Iran is that Jewish students no longer need to attend classes on Saturday (the Jewish day of rest).”
The Commission on International Religious Freedom, while noting that the Iranian government continues its anti-Jewish propaganda “but these instances have not been as prominent as in previous years,” stated:
According to the commission, “one positive development seen in Iran is that Jewish students no longer need to attend classes on Saturday (the Jewish day of rest).”
The Religious Freedom Commission has also criticized the “suppression” and “discriminatory conditions” against Zoroastrians and states that four of them who were imprisoned for allegedly promoting this religion remain in prison.
According to the commission, the “harassment” of lawyers and human rights defenders and journalists who have defended the rights of religious dissenters has continued.
The commission has asked the U.S. government to keep Tehran on the list of “countries of particular concern” and to continue identifying and sanctioning government officials accused of “violating religious rights and freedoms in Iran.”
The United States has imposed sanctions related to human rights violations against Tehran, which remain in effect alongside sanctions related to “state sponsorship of terrorism” or ballistic missile programs. The existence of these sanctions has caused international banks to continue to refrain from or limit transactions with Iran.
Reports from advisory organizations such as the Commission on International Religious Freedom are among the resources that policymakers in Washington use to inform their responses to other countries.
The Commission on International Religious Freedom has asked the U.S. government to keep Tehran on the list of “countries of particular concern.”
The commission has recommended that issues related to religious freedom be included in bilateral and multilateral discussions with Iran, emphasizing the freedom of religious minorities and dissenters, and continuing to identify and sanction government officials accused of “violating religious rights and freedoms in Iran.”
Pursuant to the commission’s recommendation, the United States should expand access to new technologies and programs using dedicated budgets and create conditions for Iranian citizens to freely receive information.
