Iran Persecutes Citizens; PRs Influencers

While America’s new administration in the White House indicates it wants to establish U.S. relations with Iran after 30 years, Iran continues its practice of denying human rights to millions of its citizens … students, women, journalists, bloggers, and religious minorities.

For the largest religious minority in Iran – the Baha’is – the situation in Iran has turned dangerous. Today, the deputy Tehran prosecutor announced that seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders (seen in the photo) will be going on trial next week on completely trumped-up charges, including espionage for Israel, a capital offense in Iran.

The Nobel Laureate, Shirin Ebadi, is their lawyer, but has been prevented from meeting with the Baha’i leaders for nearly a year or to review their files.

Iran’s timing is no coincidence as it pursues its own strategy to restore relations with the U.S. government and to deflect attention from its other activities. The Iranian government has played host in the last two years to numerous personages, such as Kofi Annan, former Secretary of the U.N; and Mary Robinson, former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, under the rubric of dialogue for civilizations.

Several religious leaders and representatives have traveled numerous times to Iran as guests of the regime to “promote religious dialogue,” never touching on the subject of the discrimination and persecution of religious groups in Iran, including some from their own religion.

The world news media is beginning to turn its attention to the persecution, including this story by AFP’s bureau in Tehran.

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