31 October1986
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
We are saddened to receive the following information from Iran. .. .
Mr. Íraj Mihdí-Nizhád, 59 years old, a prominent Bahá’í in Bandar-Abbás, was stabbed to death by a group of people. Sixteen knife wounds were observed on his body. Mr. Mihdí-Nizhád had been a civil servant and was dismissed from his job because of his faith, like thousands of other Bahá’ís. Out of necessity, he became a peddler, selling various articles in the streets in order to earn an income. Following the murder, his son-in-law and his son were detained for 48 hours by the police for questioning. However, later on, the murderers were apprehended. They belonged to a family, one of whose members had studied the Bahá’í Faith and expressed acceptance of it. It was some of the fanatical members of that family who attacked Mr. Mihdí-Nizhád, a prominent and active Bahá’í.
The police assembled a file of evidence related to the crime and sent it to the Attorney-General. However, the Attorney-General was apparently notified in advance by the members of the murderers’ family, who may even have threatened him. As a result, before the file reached his desk he left his office, instructing his subordinate to refuse to accept the file on the pretext that the Attorney-General had gone on leave. In the meantime, the police, who had correctly carried out their duty in preparing the file, must have subsequently received instructions. As a consequence, when the file was returned to them, they indicated that no action would be taken, and even advised Mr. Mihdí-Nizhád’s family to let the matter drop.
The members of the family, however, have not given up their efforts to pursue their complaint, although it is fraught with danger and there is very little prospect of bringing the murderers to justice.
Mr. Habíbu’lláh Muhtadí, 70 years of age, a retired army officer and a graduate of law school, who had been out of the country during the Revolution, returned to Iran after the Revolution to take possession of his properties and prevent them from being confiscated. However, after he had sold one of his properties in Iran, he was immediately arrested, and the proceeds of the sale were taken from him. He was put in prison for five years, and all of his other properties were later confiscated. After his release, he was pursuing his case with the authorities to try and regain the properties which had been unjustly taken from him. On 27 August he was killed instantly by a blow to his head. Apparently, similar acts are being perpetrated by fanatical elements, emboldened by the lack of action on the part of the Government. They are sure that even if the crime is discovered, a Muslim will not be punished by law if he has committed a crime against a Bahá’í.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)
