Send e-Letters to IRI Officials & Embassies urging the release of the 7 Baha'i leaders

Background
In early August 2010, after over two years of detention, Iran's 7 Baha'i leaders were sentenced to 20 years prison. Considering the advanced ages of several of these spiritual leaders, the IRI has effectively dealt life sentences. These two women and five men formed the national leadership of the Baha’i community in Iran, known as ‘yaran’ or ‘friends,' to tend to the spiritual needs of Iran's largest religious minority. The Baha'i community faces systematic oppression and discrimination by the IRI, including denial of education and government jobs, home raids, arbitrary detention, cemetery desecration, and much more.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 27, 2010: The 20 year prison sentences have been "halved" to 10 year prison sentences. Read more about this here: http://united4iran.org/2010/09/iran-halves-jail-terms-for-seven-bahai-followers/

Directions
The letter is below. If you choose to add a personal message to the e-letter, please keep it polite, human-rights focused, and without rhetoric. To the right of the e- letter page are the various recipients of the e-mail you send -- this way you don't have to send a letter multiple times (one click will send your message to all of the listed embassies, consulates, interest sections, IRI authorities, and UN officials).

The recipients include ambassadors from IRI embassies, Navanethem Pillay (the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Ban Ki-Moon (Secretary-General of the UN), Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President of the IRI), Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani (Head of the Judiciary of the IRI), and Mohammad Javad Larijani (High Council for Human Rights for the IRI), and several more. Below the letter are personal fields to fill out. Enter as much information as you feel comfortable. A VALID e-mail address is required; however, if you don't feel comfortable sharing your e-mail, consider making an e-mail account just to use for actions like this.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at info@united4iran.org

Subject:

Your Letter:

Your Excellency,

Religious freedom is a cornerstone of democracy as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, the amount of discrimination and oppression many religious minorities face in the Islamic Republic is not lost on the international community.

The Baha’i community in particular continues to suffer systematic discrimination, including denial of education, destruction of communities, arbitrary detention, cemetery & grave desecration, home raids, property confiscation, and work expulsion. Most recently, Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for politically motivated reasons.

In mid-September 2010, their sentences were "halved" to 10 years prison. The truth remains, however, that any length prison term dealt because of one's beliefs is contrary to Iran's rights obligations.

Please, demand release the seven Baha’i leaders and all others detained due to their beliefs. We call on you to restore faith in the judicial system by allowing lawyers to defend their clients, by allowing fair trials and appeals, and most importantly, by recognizing and overturning sentences that have been dealt purely for politically motivated reasons. Given the advanced age of several of the Baha’i leaders, the new 10-year prison sentence effectively remains a life sentence.

We call on you to show the world that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not turned its back on its own laws, constitution, and people. I plead that you use every mechanism at your disposal to ensure the seven Baha’i leaders are treated with dignity, guaranteed access to their lawyers and a fair appeal, and most importantly, released.

Freeing the seven Baha’i leaders, and others who remain in prison due to their beliefs, is a courageous gesture that would be welcomed by the entire international community.

Thank you for addressing these concerns and for working to ensure that the Islamic Republic of Iran adheres to its international human rights obligations.

Please help us make sure that the seven Baha’i leaders, and all prisoners of conscience, are released safely and guaranteed fair treatment. With your help, Iran can become the nation its people deserve.

Your Sincerely,

Australia

Embassy of IRI

Austria

Embassy of IRI

Au

Brazil

Embassy of IRI

Canada

Embassy of IRI

Denmark

Embassy of IRI

De

Germany

Embassy of IRI

Hungary

Embassy of IRI

India

Embassy of IRI

In

Ireland

Embassy of IRI

Italy

Embassy of IRI

Japan

Embassy of IRI

New Zealand

Embassy of IRI

Norway

Embassy of IRI

Poland

Embassy of IRI

Po

Sweden

Embassy of IRI

United Kingdom/Ireland

Embassy of IRI

United States

Interests Section of the IRI in Washington DC

Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei

Office of the Supreme Leader

France

Embassy of IRI

Spain

Embassy of IRI

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

President

Phone:(009) 821-6495

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

Head of the Judiciary

Mohammad Javad Larijani

High Council for Human Rights

First Name

Last Name

Email*

City

Country