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| 2011 Mar |
In March 2011, the UN Human Rights Council re-established the mandate of Special Rapporteur to Iran, which they had terminated in 2002, under the title "Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran". The Commission had stopped appointing investigators for Iran in an effort to encourage a dialogue with the country on human rights. Then, in 2005, the Commission was disbanded in favour of a new entity, the Human Rights Council, which, for a variety of reasons, was considerably more reluctant to criticize individual countries. Human rights activists believed the moral authority behind having such a UN-appointed special rapporteur was a critical step in bringing to light the severity of rights violations in Iran. [One Country]
Ahmed Shaheed was appointed and his mandate lasted from 2011 to 2016 when he went on to become the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
An Iranian parliamentarian referred to the United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed as a Zionist and CIA agent. [Islamic Republic News Agency 29 March 2014]
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Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran; Ahmed Shaheed; United Nations; United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; New York City, NY |
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| 2011 10 Mar |
The passing of Mrs. Ashraf Khanjani, wife of imprisoned Jamaloddin Khanjani at the age of 81 In Tehran. The couple had been married for more than 50 years. Mr. Khanjani, 77, who was serving a ten-year jail term at Iran's notorious Gohardasht prison, was not granted leave to attend his wife's funeral which was held the next day in Tehran. It attracted between 8,000 and 10,000 mourners from all walks of life. Ministry of Intelligence officers were also reportedly present, filming the proceedings.
Prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution, Mr. Khanjani was a successful factory owner. His brick-making factory – the first automated such facility in Iran – employed several hundred people before he was forced to shut it down and abandon it, because of the persecution he faced as a Bahá'í. The factory was later confiscated by the government.
Mr. Khanjani was able to establish a mechanized farm but the authorities made it difficult for him to operate. Their restrictions extended to his children and relatives and included refusing loans, closing their facilities, limiting business dealings, and banning travel outside Iran.
Mr. Khanjani had been arrested and imprisoned at least three times before his latest incarceration in May 2008. [BWNS811; Iran Press Watch 7454]
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Yaran; Ashraf Khanjani; Jamaloddin Khanjani; In Memoriam; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Tehran, Iran; Iran |
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| 2011 21 Mar |
The launch of "Half Light Media". The mandate of this not-for-profit entity was to serve the Bahá'í Faith through the arts and various avenues of media. Founder Naysan Naraqi was assisted by fellow board members Collis Ta'eed and Fuad Ta'eed and scores of collaborators.
Their flagship project was called "Bahá'í Blog" but it was more than a blog. It was a knowledge repository with almost 1,500 articles by more than 100 contributors.
It was also a Video Bank with its own YouTube Channel. Through "Studio Sessions", they invited Bahá'ís and their friends to film and record themselves singing/playing something based on the Bahá'í Writings.
Baha'i Blogcast with host Rainn Wilson was a collection of interviews with Bahá'ís and their friends. They established a presence on Sound Cloud where one could listen or download talks and music that appeared on the site.
There was a page where they showcased photography, design and imagery from around the web that focused on the Bahá'í Faith and Spirituality themes and another called Personal Reflections, a project that captured portraits of people coupled with excerpts from interviews with them about how the Bahá'í Faith had touched their lives.
There was a calendar page and and another for quizzes where one could challenge oneself on a variety of topics.
Another service they provided was a directory with links to Official Bahá'í Sites, Non-Government Organizations, Education and Training sites, Blogs, Publications and Communities as well as other Bahá'í resources.
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Internet; Social media; Naysan Naraqi; Collis Taeed; Fuad Taeed; Rainn Wilson |
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| 2011 24 Mar |
The UN Human Rights Council voted to create a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran. [Iran Press Watch 7657] |
Yaran; Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Human rights; United Nations; UNHCR; Special Rapporteur; Iran |
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| 2011 30 Mar |
Six months after Iran's Appeal Court reduced their sentences from 20 to 10 years, the seven Bahá'í leaders were told that the Appeals Court sentence was recognized as being in contrast with the law and that their original 20-year sentences had been reinstated.
[BWNS814]
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Yaran; Court cases; Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Tehran, Iran; Iran |
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