UN experts urge Iranian-allied Houthis to release Baha’is

The Islamic Republic of Iran engages in massive persecution of Baha’is, according to the US State Department and UN reports.

By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
Members of the Baha'i faith hold flowers as they demonstrate outside a state security court during a hearing in the case of a fellow Baha'i man charged with seeking to establish a base for the community in Yemen, in the country's capital Sanaa April 3, 2016 (photo credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)
Members of the Baha'i faith hold flowers as they demonstrate outside a state security court during a hearing in the case of a fellow Baha'i man charged with seeking to establish a base for the community in Yemen, in the country's capital Sanaa April 3, 2016
(photo credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)
BERLIN - A group of UN human rights experts on Thursday called on the Iranian regime-allied Houthi movement in Yemen to release wrongfully imprisoned Baha’is.
According to the Geneva-bases statement, the experts urged “the de facto authorities in Sana’a to speed up the unconditional release of all Baha’i detainees,  following the pardoning of Baha’i prisoner of conscience Hamid bin Haydara announced on 25 March.”
The experts added, “We welcomed the pardon of Mr. Haydara and the order to release all Baha’i prisoners issued last month by Mahdi Al Mashat, Head of the de facto Government.
The public announcement clearly affirmed that all charges had been dropped against them and that they would be released unconditionally without delay.”
“For several years, the experts have expressed their concerns over the unlawful prosecution of Baha’is in Yemen," the statement read. "This includes Mr. Haydara, whose controversial death sentence was upheld, and five other Baha’is who were on trial at the time when the pardoning and order to release were publicly announced.”
"We are however surprised and dismayed that following the pardoning and release order, the judicial authorities are imposing conditions such as commercial bond for the release of the five Baha’is currently on trial,” the experts said.
The following experts signed the statement: The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention: José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez (Chair), Leigh Toomey (Vice-Chair), Elina Steinerte (Vice-Chair), Seong-Phil Hong and Sètondji Roland Adjovi; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Agnes Callamard and the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes RP.
“We strongly recommend against any rollback of the official decision to pardon and release which was communicated unequivocally. This would violate the fundamental rights of those affected,” the experts wrote.
“The de facto authorities in Yemen should drop any charges and release Mr. Haydara and all other Baha’is promptly without any conditions to honor the commitment made by Mr. Al Mashat in his welcomed pardoning announcement.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran engages in massive persecution of Baha’is, according to the US State Department and UN reports. Iran's regime furnishes the anti-Western Houthi movement with arms in is war against Saudi Arabia and the Houthi aim to seize total control over Yemen.
The statement concluded with a call for the authorities “to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief of the Baha’is and all other religious minorities in the country.”


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