396. Summary of the Situation in Iran

396

Summary of the Situation in Iran

21 May 1984

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

396.1 FURTHER TO OUR MESSAGE OF 10 MAY REGARDING TORTURE BEING INFLICTED BAHÁ’ÍS IRAN WE SEND FOLLOWING SUMMARY OVERALL SITUATION THAT COUNTRY FROM MOST RECENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY RELIABLE SOURCES.

1. 1. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION MORE THAN 300 RESIDENCES

OF BAHÁ’ÍS HAVE BEEN PLUNDERED OR SET ON FIRE.

396.3 2. SOME 170 BAHÁ’ÍS, MOST OF THEM PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE BAHÁ’Í

COMMUNITY, HAVE BEEN KILLED BY A VARIETY OF METHODS, BUT

PRINCIPALLY THROUGH EXECUTION BY FIRING SQUADS AND BY HANGING.

396.4 3. IN URBAN AREAS PROPERTIES BELONGING TO SEVERAL HUNDRED FAMILIES

HAVE BEEN SEIZED, WHILE IN RURAL AREAS MANY ORCHARDS HAVE BEEN

DESTROYED AND FARMS AND ARABLE LANDS CONFISCATED. PETITIONS TO

THE AUTHORITIES FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES HAVE BEEN IGNORED.

1. 4. THE MINISTRY OF WORKS AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS FORMALLY INSTRUCTED

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONS NOT TO PAY THEIR BAHÁ’Í STAFF.

1. 5. MORE THAN 10,000 BAHÁ’ÍS EMPLOYED IN GOVERNMENT OFFICES OR IN THE

PRIVATE SECTOR HAVE BEEN SUMMARILY DISCHARGED, THEIR RIGHTS TO

PENSIONS AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS REVOKED. DEMANDS WERE MADE

OF A NUMBER OF THEM TO REFUND THE SALARIES THEY HAD RECEIVED FOR THE

DURATION OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT.

1. 6. BAHÁ’Í STUDENTS HAVE BEEN DISMISSED FROM ALL UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER

INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.

1. 7. IN MOST CITIES AND PROVINCES, BAHÁ’Í CHILDREN HAVE BEEN DENIED ENTRY TO

SCHOOLS AND THEREFORE HAVE NO ACCESS TO BASIC EDUCATION.

1. 8. SOME 700 BAHÁ’ÍS, INCLUDING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, ARE BEING HELD IN

VARIOUS PRISONS THROUGHOUT IRAN.

396.10 9. FOR MORE THAN NINE MONTHS VISITS TO 40 BAHÁ’Í PRISONERS HAVE BEEN

STRICTLY PROHIBITED BY THE AUTHORITIES. THEIR FATE IS THEREFORE

UNKNOWN.

396.11 10. IN EVIN AND GAWHAR-DASHT PRISONS A NUMBER OF BAHÁ’Í PRISONERS ARE

UNDERGOING RELENTLESS TORTURE IN AN EFFORT ON THE PART OF THE

AUTHORITIES TO FORCE THEM TO ADMIT TO FALSE CHARGES OF ENGAGING IN

ESPIONAGE AND ACTING AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN. FOR A PERIOD

OF MONTHS THEY HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO FLOGGINGS OF ALL PARTS OF THE

BODY, PARTICULARLY THE LEGS AND FEET. SOMETIMES UP TO 400 STROKES BY

WIRE CABLES HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED TO ONE PRISONER, THEN HE OR SHE HAS

BEEN MADE TO WALK. FINDING THIS IMPOSSIBLE, THE UNFORTUNATE PRISONER

HAS BEEN FORCED TO CRAWL ON HANDS AND KNEES BACK TO A DARK CELL. IN

MASHHAD AND YAZD BAHÁ’Í PRISONERS ARE REGULARLY WHIPPED ON THE HEAD

AND FACE WITH THICK PLASTIC TUBES, SIMILAR PROCEDURES ARE USED TO A

LESSER DEGREE IN OTHER PRISONS. A NUMBER OF THESE VICTIMS OF TORTURE

HAVE LOST THEIR SIGHT AND HEARING, OTHERS THEIR MENTAL COMPETENCE. THE

BODIES OF FOUR PRISONERS SUBJECTED TO SUCH TREATMENT WERE SEEN BEFORE

BEING, BURIED IN UNKNOWN GRAVES. IT IS THEREFORE FEARED THAT OTHER

PRISONERS WHOSE BODIES HAVE BEEN SIMILARLY BURIED WITHOUT THEIR

FAMILIES BEING NOTIFIED SUFFERED THE SAME FATE.

396.12 11. BAHÁ’ÍS ARE UNSAFE IN THEIR OWN HOMES, WHICH ARE ENTERED AT WILL, DAY OR

NIGHT, BY REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS, WHO HARASS THE INHABITANTS BY

INSULTING, THREATENING AND BEATING THEM. WHEN THE REVOLUTIONARY

GUARDS INVADE A HOME WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRESTING A PARTICULAR

BAHÁ’Í, IF THAT PERSON HAPPENS TO BE ABSENT, THEIR PRACTICE IS TO SEIZE AS

HOSTAGES OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD, EVEN CHILDREN, AND TO

RANSACK THE PLACE, CONFISCATING WHATEVER THEY PLEASE.

396.13 12. WHENEVER THE HEAD OR SOME OTHER IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THE FAMILY HAS

BEEN KILLED, AND OFTEN WHEN SUCH A PERSON HAS BEEN IMPRISONED, THOSE

REMAINING BEHIND HAVE BEEN FORCED FROM THEIR HOMES AND NOT PERMITTED

TO TAKE ANY BELONGINGS, EVEN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER. THE VICTIMS OF SUCH

TREATMENT HAVE NO RECOURSE TO JUSTICE SINCE THEIR PETITIONS TO THE

AUTHORITIES ARE IGNORED. BAHÁ’Í FAMILIES IN ISFAHÁN, MASHHAD, TEHRAN,

URÚMÍYYIH AND YAZD IN PARTICULAR ARE AFFECTED BY THESE CONDITIONS. ...

396.14 FOLLOWING INFORMATION JUST RECEIVED: EXECUTION FOUR MORE COURAGEOUS BRETHREN IRAN

TABRÍZ, 5 MAY —MR. JALÁL PAYRAVÍ, IMPRISONED 22 OCTOBER 1981

MR. MAQSÚD ‘ALÍZÁDIH, IMPRISONED 27 JANUARY 1982

TEHRAN, 15 MAY —MR. ‘ALÍ-MUḤAMMAD ZAMÁNÍ, 45 YEARS OLD

MR. JAHÁNGÍR HIDÁYATÍ, 61 YEAR OLD CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER,

MEMBER NOW DISSOLVED NATIONAL ASSEMBLY KIDNAPPED

JUNE 1983

396.15 BOTH TORTURED DURING IMPRISONMENT

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396.16 IN ADDITION, MR. ASADU’LLÁH KÁMIL-MUQADDAM DIED IN PRISON 2 MAY, CIRCUMSTANCES UNKNOWN.

396.17 FRIENDS IRAN FEEL SITUATION DANGEROUS GREAT NUMBER OTHER BAHÁ’Í PRISONERS....

Universal House of Justice