and ethnic minorities have reportedly been the target of denial of employment in the Islamic
Republic of Iran.22 23 For example, members of the Yarsan community reported the denial of
public sector jobs through the application of gozinesh requirements. 24 25
Reports have shown that religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran face human rights
violations such as: arbitrary deprivation of life and extrajudicial executions, a disproportionate
number of executions on national security-related charges, arbitrary arrests and detention in
connection with range of peaceful activities, incitement to hatred, forced closure of businesses
and discriminatory practices and denial of employment and restrictions on access to education
and other basic services.26 Additionally, a new rule proclaimed in January 2020 will only allow
citizens to register as one of the country’s recognized religions to the state-issued National
Identity Card—which is required for almost all government and other transactions. 27
Iranian discriminatory practices’ also single out unrecognized religious minorities, notably
members of the Baha���i faith. Although the government affirmed that “all Baha’is can freely
perform their personal rituals”28 the Baha’i faith is considered as a “misguided sect” in Iran and
Baha’i worship and religious practices are deemed heresy.29 In 1991, the Government
institutionalized a policy against Baha’í citizens in a memorandum entitled ‘The Baha’í
Question’, produced by Iran’s Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council and approved by the
Supreme Leader. The document outlines a series of measures aiming at restricting Iranian
Baha’ís access to education, economic and cultural life. Although the Government affirmed that
the Baha’is had not been singled out for discrimination,30 the document remains in force today.
On 26 March 2018, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued, via his website, a new religious
decree (fatwa) concerning “association and dealing with Baha’ís”. He stated that, “[y]ou should
avoid any association and dealings with this perverse and misguided sect.”31 Baha’is are
prohibited from practicing their faith publicly, and they are not allowed to operate houses of
22
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019,
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
23
Baha’i International Community, Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Iran, 2019,
https://undocs.org/A/HRC/WG.6/34/IRN/3
24
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019,
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
25
www.iranhumanrights.org/2017/05/most-yarsani-religious-minority-candidates-disqualified- from-irans-2017-councilselections/
26
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019,
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
27
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2020/01/bahais-unrecognized-minorities-in-iran-must-nowhide-religion-to-obtain-government-id/
28
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
29
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
30
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019,
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
31
Baha’i International Community, https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/iran/the_bahais_of_iran__a_persecuted_community.pdf
4