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| Title | EU condemns persecution of Baha'i community in Iran |
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Country | Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Publication Date | 6 September 2011 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, EU condemns persecution of Baha'i community in Iran, 6 September 2011, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4e6f685c1.html [accessed 31 May 2012] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
EU condemns persecution of Baha'i community in Iran
September 06, 2011
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has condemned the persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran.
In a statement issued, Ashton expressed "serious concerns about the recent wave of arrests of Baha'i citizens and the shutting down of an educational center of the Baha'i community in Iran."
The appeal calls on Iran "to refrain from all forms of discrimination against religious minorities."
Iran has recently declared illegal the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), which makes use of the volunteer services of dismissed professors to teach Baha'i youth. Some 14 Baha'is who worked at the BIHE were taken into custody in Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, and Esfahan in May.
The BIHE was established unofficially in 1987 to provide higher education for young Baha'is barred from universities because of their religious beliefs.
The Iranian government claims that the Baha'i Faith is not a religion but a political organization, and hence refuses to recognize it as a minority religion.
compiled from agency reports
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
Topics: Religious persecution, Religious minorities, Baha'i,
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