accept these requirements, from seeking employment in the public sector.21 Members of religious and ethnic minorities have reportedly been the target of the denial of employment in the Islamic Republic of Iran.22 23 For example, members of the Yarsan community reported being rejected for professions in the public sector due to the application of gozinesh. 24 25 Reports have shown that religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran face human rights violations, such as the arbitrary deprivation of life and extrajudicial executions. Additionally, there have been a disproportionate number of executions for national security-related charges, arbitrary arrests and persons being detained while conducting a range of peaceful activities. Members of religious minorities have been accused of incitement to hatred, saw their businesses being forcefully closed, suffered discriminatory practices, were denied employment and were restricted from accessing education and other basic services.26 A new rule, proclaimed in January 2020, will only allow citizens to register as belonging to one of the country’s recognised religions in order to obtain the state-issued National Identity Card—which is required for almost all administrative and other operations. 27 Iranian discriminatory practices’ also single out unrecognised religious minorities, notably members of the Baha’i faith. Although the government affirmed that “all Baha’is can freely perform their personal rituals”28, in Iran the Baha’i faith is considered to be a “misguided sect” and Baha’i worship and religious practices are deemed heresy.29 In 1991, the Government institutionalised a policy against Baha’í citizens in a memorandum entitled ‘The Baha’í Question’, which was produced by Iran’s Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council and approved by the Supreme Leader. The document outlines a series of measures that aim to restrict Iranian Baha’ís from accessing education or from fully enjoying economic and cultural life. Although the Government affirmed that the Baha’is had not been singled out in order to be discriminated against,30 the document remains in force to this day. On 26 March 2018, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued, via his website, a new religious decree (fatwa) regarding any “association and dealing with Baha’ís”. He stated that, “[y]ou should avoid any association and dealings with this 21 Ibid. Ibid. 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 Ibid. 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 Ibid. 30 Ibid. 22 4