UN human rights experts have recently expressed serious concerns regarding the escalating persecution of the Bahá’í religious minority in Iran, amidst heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. The experts have highlighted disturbing reports of torture, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions targeting Bahá’ís, a group already subjected to historical discrimination in Iran. Allegedly, around 57 Bahá’ís are currently detained under severe conditions, which include incommunicado detention, coerced confessions, and physical and psychological abuse. Such treatment seemingly violates Iran’s commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The UN experts also raised alarms about the use of mock executions to extract confessions later broadcast on Iranian state media. This tactic, combined with the reliance on national-security charges such as “propaganda against the state,” transforms legal mechanisms into tools of religious repression. Reports by human rights watchdogs indicate these charges often cloak the peaceful activities of Bahá’í community members in criminality, further isolating the group.
Historically, Iran’s Bahá’í community has faced systemic persecution dating back to the Pahlavi dynasty. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, this persecution intensified, manifesting in killings, imprisonments, and widespread exclusion from social and economic life. By the 1990s, repression shifted towards more institutional exclusion, with Bahá’ís barred from higher education, public employment, and other civic activities. A 1991 government memorandum purportedly aimed to prevent the Bahá’í community from developing as a viable entity within Iran.
The persecution of Bahá’ís is a longstanding issue, but recent reports highlight an alarming increase in intensity. Between June and November 2025, more than 750 incidents involving arrests, home raids, and imprisonments were documented by the Bahá’í International Community and Human Rights Watch. The European Union Agency for Asylum warns that risk levels vary for Bahá’ís, with those involved in protests or who hold leadership roles facing heightened dangers.
Such actions by Iran contradict its obligations under international law, raising significant concerns about religious freedom and human rights. The latest warnings from UN experts serve as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by the Bahá’í community and the urgent need for international attention and action to address these infringements.