RUTHLESS PERSECUTION DEFENCELESS COMMUNITY BAHA'IS IRAN FURTHER INTENSIFIED THROUGH RECENT EXECUTION BY FIRING SQUADS OF SIX STAUNCH MARTYRS, ONE IN TIHRAN HABIBU'LLAH 'AZIZI, FIVE IN DARYUN NEAR ISFAHAN, BAHMAN 'ATIFI, 'IZZAT 'ATIFI, 'ATA'U'LLAH RAWHANI, AHMAD RIDVANI, AND GUSHTASB THABIT-RASIKH. LAST FIVE WERE IMPRISONED FOLLOWING LARGE-SCALE SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS ON BAHA'IS IN THEIR HOMES AND ARREST OF SEVERAL OF THEM IN VILLAGES NEAR ISFAHAN. FAMILIES MARTYRS WERE NOT INFORMED OF EXECUTIONS WHILE RELATIVES THOSE EXECUTED IN DARYUN ALSO NOT PERMITTED CONDUCT BAHA'I FUNERALS THEIR LOVED ONES, AND LAST THREE NAMED WERE BURIED UNCEREMONIOUSLY IN MUSLIM CEMETERY. NO ANNOUNCEMENT BY AUTHORITIES WAS MADE ABOUT EXECUTION LAST FIVE. ...
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)
