The National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'id'Italia knew that yesterday, despite has been shown to have committed no crime, for the three Iranian Baha'is began the fourth year in prison.
The two women, ladies and Haleh Rohu Raha Sabet, Mr. Sasan and Taqva, were arrested in May 2006, along with 51 other Baha'is to some Muslim friends, for participating in an educational program for disadvantaged children in the city of Shiraz and suburbs. While the ten employees
Muslims and Baha'is with learning difficulties were released immediately, the others were convicted of "indirect teaching of the Baha'i Faith." The ladies and Rouhi Sabet and Mr. Taqva were sentenced to four years imprisonment. The other 50 were sentenced to one year suspended sentence with an order to attend an Islamic class.
It is estimated that today, after three years, they continue to be subjected to harsh conditions in a temporary detention center.
'In Iranian law, the Information Minister can not hold the people in these centers if not for the time taken for interrogation, "said Ms. Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "We understand that the conditions are totally unacceptable for the continued detention suffered by three people."
The trial and imprisonment violated both the Iranian law is the international one, said Ms. Dugal. "All evidence, including a report asked an Iranian official, have proved their innocence."
authorities have refused to consider the findings of the investigator. When the report was made public, he rewrote the record, eliminating the original one.
"The Iranian government has failed to correct such an obvious miscarriage of justice," said Ms. Dugal. "This is just another case, pure and simple, of religious persecution."
"Why else would three people, whose" crime "was the main effort in humanitarian projects aimed to help their fellow citizens continue to be detained under these conditions? ".
in prison for helping the poor The idea of \u200b\u200bworking specifically with young people of Shiraz has taken shape in a study group organized by Mrs. Sabet, who had worked on humanitarian aid following the earthquake of 2003.
The lady and her friends initially worked Katsbas, a neighborhood known for drug use and criminal activities. The group taught the children preparing for final exams. With the consent of the parents, the effort was extended to children to help them develop social skills and moral values.
When the project is ready to assist oltre 200 bambini a Katsbas, il gruppo è riuscito ad avere dal consiglio comunale il permesso di lavorare. Un’altra impresa ha avuto inizio a Sahlabad, anch’essa sostenuta sia da baha’i sia da musulmani. Un’ulteriore iniziativa, curata da 14 educatori, ha coinvolto 100 giovani presso un centro educativo.
Il gruppo ha anche organizzato classi settimanali dedicate all’arte per giovani pazienti ammalati di cancro, un’attività entusiasticamente sostenuta dal direttore di un ospedale locale. Inoltre, sono state organizzate visite agli orfanotrofi e facilitazioni per bambini disabili.
Arresto e condanna Il 19 maggio 2006, la polizia ha arrestato gli educatori e i dirigenti the project simultaneously in six locations.
After the release of Muslim employees, other Baha'is were released in the days and weeks. The ladies and Rouhi Sabet and Mr. Taqva were held for about a month.
Over a year later took place a short process and formal. The Bahais have been accused, among other things, of "indirect teaching of the Baha'i Faith," for using a text titled "Breezes of Confirmation '. But the text makes no mention of the Baha'i Faith. Only has moral lessons developed through a series of short stories. Though the cultural council of the city had approved the use of the book, verdict said that permission had been obtained by fraud.
"The charges against them were groundless and unacceptable under Section 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, an international treaty that Iran has signed and which protects the right to express their belief in the" cult , observance, practice and teaching, '"said Ms. Dugal.
"To begin with, it was clear that their activities were strictly humanitarian in nature. Second, even the court noted that the wording used made no explicit reference to the Baha'i Faith. Some employees Muslims said they were unaware of the fact that employees were being taught by their Baha'i faith, "he added.
Most of the Baha'is, given their youth, were sentenced to one year, then turned into conviction must attend classes organized by the Organisation for Islamic Propaganda. In these classes, beliefs and history Baha'is were ridiculed, insulted and mystified.
But the ladies and Mr. Sabet and Rouhi Taqva, were sentenced to four years in prison, three years for having "organized illegal groups" and a year "for having taught for the benefit of groups opposed to the Islamic regime."
Detention Centre temporanea Nel novembre 2007, le signore Sabet e Rouhi e il signor Taqva sono stati convocati nell’ufficio locale del Ministero dell’Informazione, col pretesto di restituire loro le proprietà che erano state confiscate. Ma era un inganno. Quando sono arrivati, sono stati immediatamente rinchiusi in cella. Sono passati tre anni e sembra che continuino a essere detenuti nelle stesse condizioni. Il signor Taqva è stato sempre lasciato in una cella da claustrofobia. Le donne sono state inizialmente rinchiuse insieme in un’altra piccola cella, normalmente usata per detenzioni di breve termine. Oggi sono tutti separati l’uno dall’altro. Senza finestre, senza letti e senza sedie e solo di recente hanno had a mattress. It is known that all three prisoners have chronic back pain.
From time to time shall be granted "temporary release", but then must always return to prison to complete the term of four years.
For most of the period of detention, Mr. Taqva has also suffered as a consequence of a wound in the leg, caused by a car accident, he suffered from sciatica and muscle weakness caused by lack of simple comfort . Although it has been awarded twice for a short time to surgery, he remained for most of the time without adequate medical care. The few daily exercises and access to fresh air, when granted, are limited to thirty minutes a day, not outside, but in a room with no roof. Whenever you have to exit the cell are blindfolded. The continued detention of Mr.
Taqva and his two collaborators violates international law, says Ms. Dugal. "For the Iranian law, people accused of crimes have the right to a fair trial detention in a prison suited to long-term detention, where you can get adequate medical care, food and hygiene. The detention of these innocent people in cells suitable for short stays not only violates common decency but also the national law. " Ignored
a confidential report In June 2008, Vali Rustam, inspector and legal advisor to the Office of the Supreme Leader's representative for the province of Fars, has submitted a confidential report to the request of the representative of Supreme Leader of Iran for the province.
Mr. Rustam has confirmed that not only was there no mention of religion in the activities of prisoners, but that young people who attended the classes told him they wanted to continue. "They said:" We learned a lot from this group and would like to have them back again with us, '"wrote Mr. Rustam.
When his report became public, he wrote another version of distorting the initial findings.
Far from being a menace to society, said Ms. Dugal, it is clear that the three were doing their best to serve society. "Won the gratitude of those who attended, the Baha'is have aroused the wrath of the government. Only unbridled animosity and hatred can lead to the perversion of justice that characterizes this case. "
"After three years in prison, you can not understand why the authorities refuse to immediately stop the cruel treatment of these people. We continue to appeal to the international community to speak in defense of these people, as the seven Baha'i leaders and thousands of prisoners altre persone nell’Iran odierno che sono state private dei diritti umani», ha detto.
http://news.bahai.org/story/799 Comunicato Stampa 
Il 28 novembre all'1:00 del mattino, i membri della Fede Bahá'í in tutto il mondo commemorano il trapasso di 'Abdu'l-Bahá, figlio maggiore di Bahá'u'lláh. 
