Mr. Jalal Azizi

Background Information Regarding Eight Executed Bahá'ís Seen on Trial in the Documentary Iranian Revolutionary Justice In December 1981, eight members of the national governing body of the Bahá'ís in Iran were executed by firing squad after 14 days in prison. A secret trial was held for them behind closed doors and the entire event was recorded on video.

The BBC has now released a documentary film called Revolutionary Justice in Iran, based on the footage of this trial which has been discovered after more than 30 years. Below you will find background information on each of the eight individuals who were arrested on 13 December 1981 and executed on 27 December of the same year.

آقای جلال عزیزی در سال 1928 در خانواده‌ای بهائی در تهران به دنیا آمد. پس از پایان دبیرستان برای تحصیلات دانشگاهی به آلمان رفت و در شهر فرایبورگ، در جنوب آن کشور، ساکن شد. پس از فارغ‌التحصیلی در اقتصاد و حقوق به ایران بازگشت، ازدواج کرد و کسب‌وکارش را آغاز کرد. او و همسرش سه فرزند داشتند. آقای عزیزی عضوی فعال در جامعه‌ی بهایی بود. طی سال‌های پرتلاطم انقلاب، سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی همواره او را تحت نظر داشت و چند بار وی را به علّت اعتقاداتِ دینی‌اش بازداشت و زندانی کرد، اما هر بار پس از یکی دو روز با وثیقه آزاد شد. اموال او و برادرانش را به جرم بهائی بودن، ضبط و مصادره کردند. افزون بر این، حساب بانکی او را مسدود کردند و وی مجبور شد معاملات مالیِ خویش را از طریق دیگران انجام دهد. او به رغم اینکه می‌دانست تحت تعقیب و نظارتِ سپاه پاسداران است به عنوان یکی از نمایندگان نهادهای بهائی برای دفاع از حقوقِ بهائیان ستمدیده با مقام‌های حکومتی دیدار می‌کرد. او و برادرش اسکندر عزیزی در یک هفته اعدام شدند. ابتدا وی به عنوان عضو محفل روحانی ملّی و سپس برادرش به عنوان عضو محفل محلی تهران اعدام شدند. برادر بزرگ‌تر .آنها، حبیب‌الله، در ماه اوت همان سال اعدام شده بود.

 Mr. Jalal Azizi was born into a Bahá’í family in Tehran in 1928. After completing his high school education, he moved to Germany to attend university there and settled in Freiburg in the south of the country. He graduated with a degree in economics and law and then returned to Iran where he married and established his own business. He and his wife had three children. Mr. Azizi was an active member of the Bahá'í community. During the turbulent years of the Revolution, he was constantly under the surveillance of the Revolutionary Guards and was arrested and imprisoned several times because of his Bahá'í beliefs, but each time he was released on bail after a day or two. His property and that of his brothers were also seized and sealed because of their beliefs. Further, he was denied access to his bank account and had to conduct his financial transactions through others. Despite the knowledge that he was followed and watched by the Revolutionary Guards, Mr. Azizi met with the authorities as one of the representative of Bahá'í institutions to plead the rights of the persecuted Bahá'ís. Mr. Azizi and his brother, Iskandar Azizi, were both executed in the same week. First, Mr. Azizi was executed as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and then, Iskandar Azizi, as the member of the Local Assembly of Tehran. Their older brother, Habibu’llah had also been executed in August of the same year.

Mehdi Amin-Amin

Background Information Regarding Eight Executed Bahá'ís Seen on Trial in the Documentary Iranian Revolutionary Justice In December 1981, eight members of the national governing body of the Bahá'ís in Iran were executed by firing squad after 14 days in prison. A secret trial was held for them behind closed doors and the entire event was recorded on video. The BBC has now released a documentary film called Revolutionary Justice in Iran, based on the footage of this trial which has been discovered after more than 30 years. Below you will find background information on each of the eight individuals who were arrested on 13 December 1981 and executed on 27 December of the same year.

Mehdi Amin-Amin
Mr. Mehdi Amin-Amin was born in Tehran on 4 July 1916. He finished primary and secondary studies at the Tarbiat School in Iran – a school opened by Bahá'ís which was later closed by the government as part of the crack down on the Bahá'í community. Mr. Amin-Amin graduated from the College of Law at Tehran University and obtained a permit as first grade attorney and opened his own private practice in Tehran. He married Ms. Bahiyyih Naimi with whom he had one daughter. Mr. Amin-Amin was a skilled and respected lawyer and a talented poet. As a lawyer, his recognized honesty and nobility of character won him exceptional trust by his clients. During the 1953 upheavals against the Bahá’ís of Yazd, he and two other Bahá’í lawyers were appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly – an elected national council which forms part of the Bahá'í administrative structure in all countries – to defend the imprisoned members of the Local Spiritual Assembly – an elected Bahá'í council at the local level – of Yazd. The court verdict was issued in favour of the Bahá’í defendants. Mr. Amin-Amin also headed the legal task force appointed by the National Assembly, taking a lead in drafting letters to authorities pleading for the rights of the Bahá'ís. At the time of the Revolution, despite the continued advice of his friends and family, Mr. Amin-Amin did not leave Iran as he considered it his duty to stay and serve his country. During the years immediately after the Islamic Revolution, Mr. Amin-Amin was ready to travel wherever his professional help was needed and rendered valuable service to his community. He was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Iran after the abduction and disappearance of the members of previous National Assembly in August 1980.

The generations that have gone on before you ...

The generations that have gone on before you—whither are they fled? And those round whom in life circled the fairest and the loveliest of the land, where now are they?
 Profit by their example, O people, and be not of them that are gone astray. Others ere long will lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into your habitations. Incline your ears to My words, and be not numbered among the foolish.
For every one of you his paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which no other may infringe and none usurp from him. Such a thing—and to this the Almighty is My witness—is the love of God, could ye but perceive it.

Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

WHEN the Day-Star of Bahá ..

WHEN the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above the horizon of eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne. Beware lest ye be seated in His presence or ask questions without His leave ...

Moreover, take ye good heed not to be reckoned among those of the past who were invested with knowledge, yet by reason of their learning waxed proud before God, the Transcendent, the Self-Subsisting, inasmuch as on that Day it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the Omniscient, the Source of all knowledge, far above such as are endued with learning; and it is He Who is the Potent, the All-Compelling, the Lord of power, in the face of those who wield power; ...

Selections From the Writings of the Báb

Oneness of God and unity of mankind.

The great and fundamental teachings of Bahá’u’lláh are the oneness of God and unity of mankind. This is the bond of union among Bahá’ís all over the world. They become united among themselves, then unite others. It is impossible to unite unless united. Christ said, “Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?” This proves there were dissensions and lack of unity among His followers. Hence His admonition to unity of action.
Now must we, likewise, bind ourselves together in the utmost unity, be kind and loving to each other, sacrificing all our possessions, our honor, yea, even our lives for each other. Then will it be proved that we have acted according to the teachings of God, that we have been real believers in the oneness of God and unity of mankind.

`Abdu'l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace