3.6.2. Baha’is

COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: January 2025

This sub-profile includes persons who believe in and practice the Baha’i religion and/or are part of the Baha’i community in Iran.

The Baha’i religion is not recognised in Iran and its followers are perceived by the Islamic Republic as a non-Muslim group. The Baha’is have historically faced systematic ideological, political, educational, and economic pressure in Iran and have been increasingly targeted by the Islamic Republic. Followers of the Baha’i faith are banned from publicly practicing their religion, including the establishment of their places of worship.

  Step 1: Do the reported acts amount to persecution?  

Some acts to which Baha’is could be exposed are of such severe nature that they would amount to persecution. More specifically, Baha’is face arrests, raids on their homes, and imprisonment. Such acts have increased as Iranian authorities have accused the Baha’is of instigating the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, and hate speech increased. Furthermore, arbitrary detentions of Baha’i women surged during the September 2022 protests, as part of the State's ongoing targeting of the community.

The severity and/or repetitiveness of other acts that Baha’is could be subjected to and whether they occur as an accumulation of various measures, should be also taken into account. Baha’is face harassment, confiscation of their personal belongings and properties, refusal to access universities or obtain work permits, and destruction of their cemeteries. Baha’is must either lie about their faith to receive a national identification card or be denied access to services, such as insurance, education, banking, and, most recently, public transportation. Unrecognised religious minority groups face barriers accessing education and employment in government jobs.

  Step 2: What is the level of risk of persecution?  

The individual assessment of whether there is a reasonable degree of likelihood for a Baha’i to face persecution should take into account risk-impacting circumstances, such as:

·     Political profile: Baha’is with a political profile, such as taking part to demonstrations, face a higher risk since the Baha’is are accused by the Iranian authorities of initiating the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement. 

·     Visibility of the applicant: applicants with a specific profile in the community such as being a leader of the community in Iran or abroad, or appearing in the media, in Iran or abroad, as a representative of the community would impact the risk since those elements substantiate the public expression of the faith. 

·     Being known to the authorities: applicants already known to the authorities such as those who were already arrested, be it in relation to their faith or other reasons, face a higher risk. 

·     Gender: Baha’i women face a higher risk than Baha’i men in regard of the general situation of women in Iran and also because Baha’i women were increasingly targeted during protests, especially during the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ protests. Please also refer to Women and girls. 
 

It should be highlighted no applicant under this profile can reasonably be expected to abstain from their religious practice in order to avoid persecution17.

  Step 3: Is there a ground for persecution?  

Where well-founded fear of persecution is substantiated for an applicant falling under this profile, this persecution is highly likely to be for reasons of religion, as Baha’is are seen by the Islamic Republic as a deviant sect of Islam.