EU Parliament Speech on Iranian Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light Members

Thierry Valle Speech 06/07/2023 EU Parliament on Iran
Among the religious minorities that are severely persecuted in Iran, there is the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light community, whose concerns I will be raising today.

Members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Iran endure severe state-sponsored religious persecution. They are unable to freely practice their faith and live in constant fear for their safety and lives. The Iranian authorities label them as "heretics" and "infidels," branding their religion as a "misguided movement" and "hostile and deviant group".

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light has also faced vilification due to its accepting stance towards LGBT members and its belief that the headscarf is not obligatory for women. As a result, since 2019, the Iranian regime has conducted raids on the homes of the members, subjecting them to assault in front of their families, arrests, and threats of execution if they continue practicing their faith. Charges such as "insulting the leadership" and "opposition to the principle of the system" are used against them.

In 2022, 15 members were taken to the Evin Prison of Iran after a number of them had unsuccessfully tried to flee the country to escape death threats and religious persecution. In jail, the members were forced to sign papers to renounce their faith and defame the religion and its leader and were threatened with execution if they don't cooperate with the Iranian regime. Three of the 15 were minors, two were women, and one of them was persecuted additionally because of his sexual orientation.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is deeply concerned for the safety and the lives of its members who are denied the most basic human right, to practice their faith freely. Its Iranian members were forced to flee to other countries such as Turkey where they continue to face persecution, detention, and deportation orders to return them to Iran, where execution is a likely fate.

This issue has been raised, just yesterday, by the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Freedom, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the UN Working Group on arbitrary detention, and the UN Rapporteur on minority issues. They urge Türkiye to invalidate deportation orders and provide its members with international protection, enabling them to seek asylum and freely practice their faith without fear.

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