Iranian Human Rights Chief: Baha'is in Iran Are Very Wealthy, Should Not Expect Sympathy

Mohammad Javad Larijani, the Secretary of the Iranian Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights, said in a November 16, 2019 interview on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that Iran’s constitution does not regard the Baha’i faith to be a religion, but a sect whose members are entitled to government support and services as long as they abide by the constitution and act in keeping with the “citizenship contract.” He claimed that Baha’is in Iran are very wealthy and enjoy the full support of the government but admitted that there are some restrictions on the Baha’i and the Jews. Larijani said that the Iranian government cannot ignore the fact that the Baha’i Universal House of Justice is located in Haifa, Israel, and added: “If they serve the interests of other governments, like the Zionist regime, they should not expect any sympathy in Iran.”