In another significant development, the persecution faced by the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light community in Iran was highlighted during an international conference held at the European Parliament on the subject of the oppression of minorities in Iran.

The conference titled “The Oppression of Minorities in Iran: The Azeri Community as an Example” was attended by six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and five esteemed high-level speakers, including representatives from renowned human rights organizations, as well as experts and researchers in Iran from France, Belgium, and Israel.

During the conference, Thierry Valle, the President of CAP Liberté de Conscience, highlighted the severe state-sponsored religious persecution endured by members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Iran, emphasizing their inability to practice their faith freely and the threats they face due to their religious beliefs, causing them to live in constant fear for their lives.

In his oral statement, Valle mentions that members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Iran were labeled by the Iranian authorities as apostates and infidels and were subjected to raids, attacks, arrests, and threats of execution. He states that their acceptance of LGBTQ individuals and their belief that the headscarf is not obligatory for women were used as grounds to further persecute them and defame the religion. 

Furthermore, Valle cites the detainment of 15 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in 2022 in Iran, including three minors, two women and one LGBTQ individual who was additionally persecuted due to his sexual orientation. After being transferred to Evin Prison, they were coerced to sign documents renouncing their faith and defaming their religion and its leader, while facing threats of execution if they don’t cooperate with the Iranian regime.

Valle’s statement underscores the profound concerns of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light regarding the safety and well-being of its members, who are stripped of fundamental human rights, including the freedom to exercise their faith. He draws attention to the likely fate of execution awaiting the Iranian members who were recently pushed back in Turkey while attempting to seek legal asylum in Bulgaria and were issued deportation orders by Turkish authorities. He concludes by reiterating the UN’s plea for Turkey to revoke the deportation orders, provide international protection to our members, and enable them to seek asylum and practice their faith without fear.

The conference was reported on by The European Times, highlighting the case of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light community. The statement was further documented and published on CAP LC’s official website.