Iran’s Baha’i, Christian facilities targeted by discriminatory policies, CSW tells ‘Post’

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has raised alarms over Iran's escalating persecution of religious minorities, particularly the Baha'i community and Christians. According to CSW's Research and Advocacy Officer for the Middle East and North Africa, identified only as 'Mena' for security reasons, the Islamic Republic has intensified its crackdown, raiding minority facilities and imposing lengthy prison sentences on vague charges. This systematic targeting is enabled by legislation against so-called 'cults,' which allows for prison terms of two to five years, deprivation of civil rights for up to 15 years, and heavy fines for practicing their faith.

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The Islamic Republic has increasingly targeted religious minorities, raiding their facilities and sentencing members to lengthy prison terms on vague charges, an expert from Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) told The Jerusalem Post.

The crackdown has seen a renewed wave of arrests, including multiple members of the Baha'i community and three Christian leaders accused of running a 'cult' linked to the 'Zionist regime.' While Iran's internet shutdown obscures the full scale of these detentions, human rights groups like the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) warn of arbitrary arrests and denial of legal counsel and family communication for many Baha'is. Bahar Ghandehari, CHRI’s Director of Advocacy, notes that the recent arrests and raids indicate a systematic pattern of persecution, dramatically intensified since the January 2026 protests and the subsequent February 2026 war.

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The authorities have dramatically intensified their campaign of repression. The scale and coordination of arrests and home raids targeting Baha’i citizens in recent months point to a systematic pattern of persecution rather than isolated incidents.

Iran's constitution does not recognize the Baha'i faith, and a secret 1991 blueprint, approved by the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aimed to systematically 'extinguish' the community through economic, educational, and social measures. Mena further observes that religious minorities are viewed with particular suspicion by the theocracy, which seeks to impose its strict interpretation of Shi'a Islam. This discriminatory policy, targeting both Baha'is and Christians, creates an environment of fear and repression for non-Muslims within the Islamic Republic.

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Iran’s Baha’i community, the largest non-Muslim religious minority, does not enjoy official recognition, and a covert 1991 Iranian government blueprint approved by the former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, designed a program of economic, educational, and social measures to systematically extinguish the community over time.