THREE IRANIAN BAHA'IS FACE "IMMINENT DEATH"
PARIS 14TH Feb. (IPS) The Baha'i community expressed Monday its "most serious concern" over the fate of three Iranian co-religionists they say are facing "imminent execution".
Death sentence pronounced against Mr. Cyrus Zabihi-Moqaddam, Mr. Hedayat Kashefi-Najafabadi and Mr. Manouchehr Kholousi by the Islamic Revolution Court of the north-eastern city of Mash-had in 1997 was confirmed by the regime's Supreme court on 3rd of February with twenty days to appeal.
"But as days passes and no word is heard, we are afraid that they would be executed, as this Islamic court has already condemned several other Baha'is in the past, including Mr. Ruhollah Rohani who was executed in 1998", said Mrs Brenda Abrar, a press spokesman for the French Baha'i community.
Mr. Zabihi-Mooqaddam and Mr. Kashefi-Najafabadi had been arrested and condemned in 1997 accused of "illegal religious activities" like organising meetings in their houses related to their faith, but the sentence had been withheld by the Supreme Court because in May 1998 under intense international pressures. The third condemned, Mr. Kholousi, was detained last July in Birjand, 400 Kilometres south of Mash-had on unspecified charges and transferred to this city.
Contrary to other major religious minorities, the Jews, the Christians and the Zoroastrians that are officially recognised, the Baha'is not only are not accepted by the ruling Islamic Republic, but the members of this religion that claims over 350.000 worshippers and that was born in Iran in the early years of the past century are subject to open repression and denied any rights.
The death sentence against Mr. Zabihi-Moaqaddam and Mr. Hedayat-Kashefi had been confirmed to them, thought not in written form, as it is the norm with the Baha'is, Mrs Abrar said.
"Only international pressure may save them from the gallows", pointed out Mrs. Abrar, calling on the international community "to do what they can to save three innocent people who have committed no sin, no violence but to belong to a religion that the ruling Islamic authorities of Iran adamantly refuses to admit their existance".
In a statement made last week, President Bill Clinton called on the Iranian authorities not to execute the men and be more tolerant to the Baha'is, but he was rebuked forcefully by Tehran, telling him bluntly to "mind his business".
Another Baha'i source explained to Iran Press Service that two of the condemned were accused of proselytism, having converted a Muslim women, a cardinal sin under Islamic laws, while in fact the person in cause is a Baha'i who's family had been forced to convert into Islam or face prison and execution.
Observers in Tehran noted that the case of the three Baha'is is highlighted in Iran at a time that the reformists are given as the possible main victors in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
"This is not a coincidence since we see that at the same time conservatives-controlled organisations are reiterating their calls for the execution of Mr. Salman Rushdie in the one hand and more noise are heard concerning the fate of the Iranian Jews jailed on charge of spying for Israel", observed one Iranian journalist close to the reformist camp. ENDS BAHAHIS CONDEMNED 14200