The Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) announced on February 11 that charges had been laid against the seven imprisoned members of the national-level committee that coordinates the activities for the Iranian Baha’i community. The report quoted deputy Tehran prosecutor Hassan Haddad as having said “the case will be sent to the revolutionary court next week” and that these Baha’is are accused of “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic.”

The Baha’is deny categorically these charges. No evidence against them has been brought to light. The seven Baha'is were arrested in March and May of 2008 and have been held in Tehran’s Evin Prison. At no time during their incarceration have they been given access to their legal counsel, Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi. Recently Mrs. Ebadi has been harassed, intimidated and threatened by the Iranian government and has not been given access to their case files.