Mr. Speaker, on March 30, 2009, this House unanimously condemned the persecution of the Baha'i of Iran.
The House also urged the government to review the charges and hold a fair, open trial.
Iran did not heed our call.
On August 8, 2010, after a show trial, the seven accused were sentenced to 20 years in prison, which was later reduced to 10 years.
One of the defence lawyers, Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, said that there was no evidence to corroborate the charges against the seven Baha'i individuals. Their only crime was to belong to the Baha'i community.
Meanwhile, the government continues to violate their rights.
We again condemn this charade, this denial of justice, and we urge Iran to immediately release the seven individuals pending the fair, rapid resolution of their appeal and to stop persecuting Iran's Baha'i community.