All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity

Traduction français en attendant.

OTTAWA, January 12, 2010

Hon. Laurence Cannon
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Suite 418-N, Centre Block
House of Commons

Dear Hon. Laurence Cannon,

The trial of seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders began today in Iran. The Iranian Government has detained these seven leaders of the country’s Bahá’í community for more that 20 months in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. Without providing evidence and granting little legal access to the defendants, these leaders have been held on charges of espionage, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the government.

As grave as this situation is, these trials are a reflection of much larger persecution. The Iranian government has systematically discriminated against Bahá’ís. In particular, Bahá’ís are deprived of education at the primary and secondary levels, expelled from university, denied employment in the public sector, and barred from a wide variety of occupations in the private sector. Moreover, since August 2004, 268 Bahá’ís have been arrested in Iran.

Canada remains a leader in human rights protection and must take concrete measures to defend the rights of the Bahá’ís of Iran. I urge you and the Government of Canada to condemn Iran for its ongoing persecution of Baha’is and to actively raise this issue in bilateral communications with Iran and at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly.

Sincerely,

Paul Dewar

Member of Parliament, Ottawa Centre

NDP Critic – Foreign Affairs

Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity

c.c.: the Baha’i Community of Canada-Office of Governmental Relations