USCIRF issues recommendations for Countries of Particular Concern

On May 2, 2008, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced its recommendations to the State Department for Countries of Particular Concern for 2008. Iran was among these countries and its treatment of Bahá’ís was listed among reasons for the recommendation of Iran:

“The already poor religious freedom record of Iran has deteriorated further, especially for religious minorities-including Baha’is, Sufi Muslims, and Evangelical Christians-who face relentless arrests, imprisonment, and harassment. Fears among Iran’s Jews have grown due to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s repeated denials of the Holocaust and other anti-Semitic statements. Dissidents and political reformers continue to be imprisoned on criminal charges of blasphemy and for criticizing the Islamic regime. Nearly 150 Baha’is have been subjected to a wave of arrests and detention since late 2004; some have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 90 days to one year on dubious charges that include “spreading propaganda against the regime,” and the fear of arbitrary arrest has grown.”

USCIRF Media release

USCIRF 2008 Annual Report