Document #1231463
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
No reports of executions of persons
convicted of apostasy in the period 1997-1998 could be found among
the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, several
sources reported that a man called Ruhollah Rowhani was executed on
21 July 1998 for allegedly trying to convert a Muslim woman to the
Baha'i faith (The Providence Journal-Bulletin 10 Sept.
1998; Canada News Wire 22 July 1998; AI 24 July 1998). AP reported
that the Iranian government denied the report of this execution (26
July 1998). Prior to this reported execution no Baha'i had been
executed since 1992 (The Providence Journal-Bulletin 10
Sept. 1998; Canada News Wire 22 July 1998; New York Times
24 July 1998).
Human Rights Without Frontiers reported
that as of July 1998 the following Baha'i persons were in prison
under sentence of death: Musa Talibi and Dhabihu'llah Mahrami for
apostasy; Sirus Dhabihi-Muqaddam, Hidayat Kashifi Najafadabi and
Ata'u'llah Hamid Nasirizadih for "continuing 'Family Life'
meetings;" and Bihnam Mithaqi and Kayvan Khalajabadi for "Zionist
Baha'i activities" (15 Oct. 1998). However, Amnesty International
reported that Musa Talibi and Dhabihu'llah Mahrami were originally
charged with apostasy and then convicted of espionage (1998, 200),
while the Baha'i International Community stated that "court records
show clearly that it was for 'apostasy' that the two men were
initially tried, convicted and sentenced to death," while noting
subsequent claims by the Iranian government that the two men were
convicted of spying for Israel (Jan.-Mar. 1997). The Director of
Governmental Relations for the Baha'i Community of Canada stated in
a 25 January 1999 telephone interview, that Musa Talibi and
Dhabihu'llah Mahrami are the only persons they have on record as
being in prison at this time under conviction of apostasy.
On July 23 1998 the U.S. Department of
State reported that seven Baha'i were under sentence of death and
that three of the planned executions were believed to be
"imminent." In October 1998, Amnesty International and the Baha'i
International Community reported that Sirus Dhabihi-Muqaddam and
Hedayatollah Kashifi-Najafadabi could soon be executed after having
had their death sentences confirmed (9 Oct. 1998; July-Sept. 1998).
They had not been charged with apostasy but had been accused of
being involved in the same case for which Ruhollah Rowhani was
reported to have been executed (ibid.). The Director of
Governmental Relations for the Baha'i Community of Canada stated
that the death sentences of Sirus Dhabihi-Muqaddam and Hedayatollah
Kashifi-Najafadabi have been appealed to the Supreme Court which
has not yet released a decision (25 Jan. 1999).
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of additional sources consulted in researching this
Information Request.
References
Amnesty International (AI). 9 October
1998. "Urgent Action: Iran: Fear of Imminent Execution." (AI Index:
MDE 13/18/98) London: Amnesty International.
_____. 24 July 1998. "Public Statement:
Iran: Amnesty International Condemns Execution of Baha'i." (AI
Index: MDE 13/12/98) London: Amnesty International.
_____. 1998. Amnesty International
Report 1998. New York: Amnesty International USA.
Associated Press (AP). 22 July 1998.
"Iran Denies Executing Member of Baha'i Sect." (NEXIS)
Baha'i Community of Canada, Ottawa. 25
January 1999. Telephone interview with the Director of Governmental
Relations.
Baha'i International Community, New
York. "In Iran, One Baha'i Is Executed and Two More Are Sentenced
to Death, Raising Sharp Doubts About the New Government's Human
Rights Policies." One Country. Vol. 10, Iss. 2. [Internet]
www.onecountry.org [Accessed 12
Jan. 1999]
_____. January-March 1994. "Sentenced to
Death for 'Apostasy,' Two Baha'is in Iran Await Appeals." One
Country. Vol. 8, Iss. 4. [Internet] www.onecountry.org [Accessed 12 Jan.
1999]
Canada News Wire. 22 July 1998. " Baha'i
Executed in Iran; Killing Raises Fears of Intensification of
Religious Persecution." (NEXIS)
Human Rights Without Frontiers
[Brussels]. 15 October 1998. "Religious Intolerance and
Discrimination."
Iranian Christians International,
Colorado Springs, Colorado. 24 November 1998. "Iranian Government
Steps Up Persecution of Religious Minorities." [Internet] www.domini.org [Accessed 25 Jan. 1998]
New York Times. 24 July 1998.
"Iran Hangs Bahai in Religious Case." (NEXIS)
The Providence
Journal-Bulletin. 10 September 1998. Letter nby istine Muller.
"Iran's Evil Persecution of Baha'is." (NEXIS)
United States Department of State,
Washington, DC. 23 July 1998. "Press Release on Execution of Baha'i
in Iran." [Internet] bounty.bcca.org
[Accessed 12 Jan. 1999]
Additional Sources Consulted
Keesing's Record of World
Events [Cambridge]. 1998.
Resource Centre. Iran country file. May
1998-present.
_____. Iran: Amnesty International
country file. May 1998-present.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases,
LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD, World News Connection (WNC).
Four non-documentary sources contacted
could not provide information on the requested subject.