US Report Highlights Violations of Religious Freedom in Iran

The US Department of State's latest International Religious Freedom report has revealed Iran's continued violations against religious freedoms.

Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during the unveiling ceremony of the annual report, said that "government restrictions on religion had reached their highest global level since tracking began back in 2007".

The report, which annually assesses 200 countries, highlighted the repression of multiple minorities in Iran including the Baha'is. Only Islam, Christianity and Judaism are legal in Iran, though even Sunni Muslims face repression, along with restrictions on Jews and Christians.

Unofficial estimates suggest that more than 300,000 Baha'is live in Iran, making them the largest non-Muslim religious minority in the country and the most persecuted.

The Baha'is, in particular, suffer from systemic oppression, including arbitrary arrests, business closures, and frequent raids on their homes based on unfounded charges.

"The [Iranian] penal code provides for hudud punishments (those mandated by sharia), including amputation, flogging, and stoning. It specifies the death penalty for moharebeh ('enmity against God') and sabb al-nabi ('insulting the Prophet')," the report details, illustrating the harsh legal environment for those accused of religious crimes.

One of the most alarming aspects highlighted in the report is the variable application of the death penalty, depending on the religion of both the perpetrator and the victim, which disproportionately affects religious minorities. The report clarifies that "prevailing fatwas prescribe the death penalty for apostasy," showcasing the risks faced by individuals who deviate from the state-sanctioned religion or seek to renounce Islam.

Last year, rights group Rudaw claimed executions of the Kurdish minority had tripled, the majority of whom are Sunni muslims.

The repression extends beyond physical punishments, affecting various aspects of life for religious minorities. "The law, as typically interpreted, prohibits Muslim citizens from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs," the report states.

The 2023 report, like previous years, is compiled based on information gathered by US embassies from government officials, religious groups, NGOs, journalists, human rights observers, and other sources.

The US Commission for Religious Freedom's recommendations for 2024, list Iran as among the countries "of particular concern". "Religious freedom conditions in Iran are egregiously poor as the government continues to respond to calls for reform by systematically cracking down on religious minorities," its experts said.

"The government uses its official religious interpretation of Islam as an ongoing basis for denying freedom of religion and belief to citizens who express dissent through peaceful protest, including women and LGBTQI+ people."