Press Statement
John Kirby, Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson for the US State Dept. in a statement on May 14, 2016 expressed concern about the imprisonment of Bahai leaders in Iran. In the statement he said:
Seven leaders of Iran’s Bahai community were arrested by the Iranian government eight years ago. Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Vahid Tizfahm, and Mahvash Sabet were convicted of espionage, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic Republic and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
We join the international community in condemning their continued imprisonment and calling upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to release them immediately, along with all other prisoners of conscience in Iran.
Furthermore, we call upon Iranian authorities to uphold their own laws and meet their international obligations that guarantee freedom of expression, religion, opinion, and assembly for all citizens.
