Although Iran has signed and ratified the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, in which Article 18 upholds the right to adopt and practice a religion or belief, there are continuous abuses of human rights in many ways.

Amnesty International says that concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme should not prevent international action over human rights abuses by the Islamic regime.

Arbitrary arrest, detention without trial, disappearances, torture and forced confessions are extensively documented. Iran has one of the highest rates of executions in the world. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/09/amnesty-iran-human-rights-report

Political activists, journalists, film-makers, students, human rights defenders and lawyers have all been persecuted and arrested. Action has also intensified against already banned groups such as monarchists, Bahá'ís and the People's Mujahideen. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/aug/25/iran-bahai-community-sham-trial

Baha'i Faith is the country's largest minority religion.

Reports that seven Iranian Baha'i leaders have each received prison sentences of 20 years have been met with condemnation from governments and human rights organizations around the world. http://news.bahai.org/story/787

Read more: http://news.bahai.org/story/789

Unlike Iran's Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian populations who are recognised under Article 13 of the Iranian constitution, Bahais have no representation in Iran's  parliament. The lack of constitutional recognition - and as a result, the lack of provisions for protection - has made it easier for the government to attack Bahais and their social and cultural institutions with impunity, and to deny them the right to practise their faith openly. http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/04/13/barring-bahais

Read more: http://www.bahai.org/dir/worldwide/persecution

In many countries that have democracy, we know that without the freedom of speech the democracy could never work.

But in some countries they still struggle  for the right and the freedom of speech. These things are extremely important any time when there are beliefs behind the abuse of human rights. There has to be a possibility to question, to criticize and to make decisions of your own.

What are the Baha’i’s about?

The Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths originated in Iran and the early Bahá'í community was thus largely Iranian. Until recently the Iranian Bahá'í community was the largest in the world, and remains one of the largest.

To learn more about the Baha’i faith:

Basic teachings

bahai.org