In Iran, Baha’i Leaders Stand Accused of Spying for Israel

[oberliner]

Los Angeles — When Pooya Dayanim, a Los Angeles-based Iranian-Jewish activist, went public a decade ago with the case of 13 Jews jailed in Iran on trumped-up charges of spying for Israel, he based his strategy on that of the Baha’is, a religious minority long persecuted by the Iranian government.

“When I decided to take the Shiraz 13 affair public, I modeled it after their efforts,” Dayanim said, referring to the Baha’i community. “They were very good at their public diplomacy.”

Now, the Baha’i community is working to gain the release of seven of its leaders in Tehran, who are facing down their own charges of spying for Israel. The seven — including a 45-year-old mother of three and a 37-year-old optometrist — have been imprisoned since last spring. In addition to espionage, they stand accused of insulting religious sanctities and of spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran’s official media outlet, a trial is imminent. Few outside Iran give credence to the espionage charges. But the case does open a window onto the Baha’i faith’s ties to Israel — a historic connection long exploited by the Iranian government.

http://forward.com/articles/103697/