Trial of Iran's Baha'i Leaders Delayed Again

According to the Baha'i World News Service, the trial of the dissolved ad hoc group of Baha'i leaders in Iran, scheduled for today, has been delayed again. The full story is posted below:

Trial of seven Baha'is delayed, no new date set
18 October 2009

GENEVA — Although the trial of seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran for more than 17 months was scheduled for today, when attorneys and families arrived at the court offices in Tehran they were told it would not take place. No new trial date was given.

"The time has come for these seven innocent people to be immediately released on bail," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

"The seven, whose only 'crime' is their religious belief, are once again in legal limbo, held with no idea of the legal process ahead of them. The whole charade cries out for an end to their unlawful detention," she said.

The seven are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.

Official Iranian news accounts have said the seven are to be accused of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic." They have also been charged with "spreading corruption on earth."

Last week, it appeared likely that the trial would indeed be postponed again, since attorneys for the seven had not yet received the proper writ of notification.

"The fact that their attorneys did not receive proper notification and that there is no new date for the trial is just one among many gross violations of Iran's own legal procedures, not to mention the violations of due process recognized by international law, that have marked this case from the beginning," said Ms. Ala'i.

Upcoming Trial of Baha'i Leaders in Iran

The following comment was just left on a previous post regarding the trial of Baha'i leaders in Iran. It is posted again below because of its relevance:

Cynthia has left a new comment on your post "Iran: Trial of Baha'i Leaders Postponed":

The USC Office of Religious Life, USC Levan Institute for Humanities and Ethics and the Los Angeles Baha'i Center are hosting a concert event on Wednesday, October 14th at 7:30 PM at the Bovard Auditorium for a call for human rights and religious freedom in Iran, in light of the upcoming trial of the seven Iranian Baha'is this Sunday, October 18th.

The event includes international artists, guest speakers and religious leaders in Southern California.

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Untouched Beauty in Nature

Service Through Art

Civilization has many faces and can exert its influence through various manifestations. The struggle for one's rights can be seen as only a tiny element of that dynamic process, sharing the road towards progress.

The Baha'is of Egypt are now at a juncture where their contributions to their society far exceed their personal needs and their individual challenges. Their persistent desire is to be of service to their homeland and to their fellow citizens.

In order to reinforce such thoughts, it may be timely to project such attributes and desires through various venues and in particular through creativity. Among such examples of service, art can be one of the tools to illustrate these ideals.

In this spirit, this blog will attempt to provide a new flavor to its posts through photography, as humble as it may be, to share the beauty of the unusual and the eye-catching. Objects and scenes that pass by us--at times without being noticed--if not recorded at the moment, might not be seen again.