the Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Iran states that the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, has instructed the Command Headquarters to identify people who adhere to the Bahá'í faith and to monitor their activities and gather any and all information about the members of the Bahá'í Faith.[81][82] The letter was addressed to the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard and the Police Force.[82] The letter was brought to the attention of the international community by Asma Jahangir, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief, in a March 20, 2006 press release.[82]

Monitoring of activities

On January 29, 2007 Iran's judiciary sentenced the 54 Bahá'í to four years in prison for propaganda against the regime. Part of the54 Bahá'ís who had been arrested earlier but who was under the age of 15 was released without having to post bail. Several other young people who had been arrested along with the Bahá'ís but who were not themselves Bahá'í were also released without posting bail.[37]

[76][10] The group is reported to have had in its possession a letter of permission from the Islamic Council of Shiraz to undertake this service project at the time of its arrest. The nature of the charges against the Bahá'ís is unknown at present as are the conditions under which the detainees are being held.[37]
On May 19, 2006 Iranian officials arrested 54 Bahá'ís, mostly young people, in

Arrest of 54 young people in Shiraz

In February 2010, Iranian authorities detained five more members of the