WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2792/98 by Viviane REDING to the Council. Persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran
Date: 1998-09-18
Institutions: European Parliament, REDING
Subjects: Iran, UNO, human rights, penalty, religious discrimination, religious group

29.4.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 118/143

(1999/C 118/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2792/98

by Viviane Reding (PPE) to the Council

(18 September 1998)

Subject: Persecution of the Baha(cid:146)i community in Iran

On 21 July 1998 Mr Ruhollah Rawhani, an Iranian Baha(cid:146)i convicted of having converted a young woman
from Islam to the Baha(cid:146)i faith, was executed in Mashhad, Iran.

The young woman in question, raised as a Baha(cid:146)i since childhood, denies having been converted. No
contact was permitted with the convicted man, who was denied the right to choose a lawyer. Mr Rawhani
is the first Baha(cid:146)i to have been executed since 1992. One cannot but fear the worst for another four Baha(cid:146)is
arrested and convicted alongside Mr Rawhani.

What is the position of the Council vis-(cid:224)-vis the persecution with complete impunity of Iranian nationals
in Iran solely on the grounds of creed? What measures does the Council intend to take to avert the
imminent execution of the four convicted Baha(cid:146)is, alert the international community and put pressure on
the Iranian authorities to respect one of the most basic human rights?

(1999/C 118/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3371/98

by James Nicholson (I-EDN) to the Council

(16 November 1998)

Subject: Persecution of Baha(cid:146)is in Iran

Representatives of the Baha(cid:146)i faith in Europe claim that there has been continual persecution of Baha(cid:146)is in
Iran over many decades and that upwards of 20 000 people may have died as a result. They claim that
Baha(cid:146)is in Iran enjoy no civil, religious or human rights and are currently raising concerns over the death
of Mr Ruhollah Rowhani, who they say was executed on 21 July 1998 without being accorded any legal
process. They have also raised concerns over the alleged sentencing to death of two other Baha(cid:146)is and the
sentencing to ten years imprisonment of another.

What is the Council(cid:146)s position in regard to the alleged continuing persecution of Baha(cid:146)is in Iran?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2792/98 and E-3371/98

(30 November 1998)

The Council, which has on several occasions raised the issue of the situation of the Baha(cid:146)is in Iran with the
Iranian authorities, expressed its concern to these following the execution of Ruhu(cid:146)llah Rawhani on 21 July
1998 and the death sentence against three other Baha(cid:146)is in Mashad.

Having subsequently received reports that the death sentences against Sirus Dhabihi-Muqaddam and
Hidayat-Kashifi Najafabadi had been confirmed, the Council, through EU Heads of Mission in Teheran,
called upon Iran to take immediate action to ensure that they will not be executed. It also reiterated its
concern over four other members of the Baha(cid:146)i community who are also under sentence of death, Messrs.
Bihnam Mithaqi, Kayvan Khalajabadi, Musa Talibi and Dhabihu(cid:146)llah Mahrami.

On these occasions the Council reiterated the EU(cid:146)s position on death sentences in general and appealed to
the Iranian Government side to protect the life of the Baha(cid:146)is community and to respect the rights of
religious minorities. It recalled UN-Human Rights Commission resolution 1998/80, which expressed
concern at the continuing grave violations of the human rights of the Baha(cid:146)is and called upon Iran to
refrain from pronouncing death sentences on the grounds of religious beliefs or apostasy. The Council
furthermore underlined the importance of the Iranian Government allowing the special UN rapporteur on
Human Rights, Mr Maurice Copithorne, to visit Iran for a constructive cooperation in human rights.