Iran TrialBahai body demands release of its leaders by Archit Watts Tribune News service

Iran TrialBahai body demands release of its leaders by Archit Watts Tribune News service
Chandigarh, March 1The Bahai community today demanded immediate release of its community leadersfacing trial in Iran. At a meeting attended by delegates from Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pardesh and Jammu and Kashmir, here, the community urged the international community to put pressure on the Iranian government for the release of detainees.
The seven Bahai leaders who were detained in Tehran allegedly without charges in May 2008, are going to be tried at the revolutionary court shortly. The Iranian deputy public prosecutor had announced that they were all accused of espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic, a press note said here.
For the past eight months, these leaders have been detained without any official charges and had no access to their legal counsel, Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi.
In June 2008, 13 prominent Indian personalities, including Justice VR Krishna Iyer, Justice JS Verma and Justice Rajinder Sachar, had co-signed an open letter, voicing their deep concern over the arrests of the seven Bahai leaders in Iran.
The open letter had called on Iran to abide by the international human rights conventions. The letter further stated that if charges were to be framed against them, they should be provided without undue delay a fair and open trial, as well as access to legal counsel.
On February 11, a section of media had quoted that Tehran’s deputy public prosecutor Hassan Hadda saying the seven leaders were accused of espionage of Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic.
It was told at today’s meeting that even Amnesty international considered the charges to be politically motivated.
Danesh Roshan, secretary, regional Bahai council of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pardesh and Jammu Kashmir said, “All seven leaders should be provided fair trial, full access to their lawyers, access of their lawyer to their files and sufficient time to prepare the defence. The trial should be held in the presence of international observers.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the Iranian Bahai community represents the religious minority in Iran with 3 lakh members. But still the establishment of the Islamic Republic does not recognise them and they are still becoming targets of intense and systematic persecution.

Chandigarh Tribune March 2, 2009