The report indicates that in Iran there was a further deterioration of the extremely poor status of religious freedoms during the reporting period, most notably for Baha’is and Sufi Muslims. There were reports of imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination based on religious belief.
It says that the government-controlled media intensified negative campaigns against religious minorities following the June 2005 election of the mullahs’ President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Since 1999, the U.S. Secretary of State has designated Iran as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act for its particularly egregious violations of religious freedom.
The report says that the U.N. General Assembly has passed a number of resolutions in 2003, 2004 and 2006 expressing deep concern over the continued discrimination against religious minorities by the Iranian regime.
Adherents of religious groups not recognized by the constitution do not enjoy freedom to practice their beliefs, the report adds.
On the issue of women, the report says: “The Government propagated an interpretation of Islam that effectively deprived women of some rights granted to men. Gender segregation was enforced generally throughout the country without regard to religious affiliation.”
“Since August 2005, President Ahmadinejad has pursued a virulent anti-Israel campaign, which created an even more hostile environment for the Jewish minority.
“The U.S. government strongly supported the work of the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Iran and called on the government to grant him admission and allow him to conduct his research during the period of his mandate.”