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“CONVICTION OF BAHA'I LEADERS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S8121 on Nov. 19, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONVICTION OF BAHA'I LEADERS
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to express my concern about the detention of seven leading members of the Baha'i community in Iran: Mahvash Sabet, Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm.
The seven leaders were arrested in 2008 and accused of espionage and propaganda against the state. In June, the Iranian Government sentenced them to 20 years in prison, a sentence which was subsequently reduced to 10 years.
The State Department, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and leading human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have all expressed concern about the harsh sentence and the lack of due process in these cases.
The seven Baha'i leaders were held for 2 years without formal charges and access to legal representation and they were convicted behind closed doors.
The Senate added its voice to this case by passing a resolution introduced by Senator Wyden, S. Res. 71, calling on the Government of Iran to release the seven leaders and respect the freedom of religion of the Baha'i community.
These convictions are yet another example of the abuses suffered by the Baha'i community, the largest religious minority in Iran with more than 300,000 members.
The Baha'i are denied official recognition of their faith by the state and are barred from establishing places of worship and schools. According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Baha'is cannot serve in the military and are barred from government jobs and benefits.
In condemning the sentences as a violation of Iran's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated: ``Freedom of religion is the birthright of people of all faiths.'' I could not agree more.
As a U.S. Senator representing approximately 30,000 Baha'i Americans in California, I urge the Iranian Government to release these seven leaders and allow the Baha'i community in Iran to practice their religion freely and without fear of persecution.
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