Sir, Today is United Nations Human Rights Day. This year the day marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 26 of the Declaration reads: “Everyone has the right to education” and “Higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit”.

We express our grave concern at the policy of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to deny access to education to members of its largest non-Muslim religious minority, the Baha’i faith.

Baha’is have been denied access to university for years but it is now reported that high schools and primary schools across Iran have begun to identify and expel pupils who are of the Baha’i faith. Such expulsions are a breach of Iran’s obligations under Article 13 of the Covenant of Economic, Cultural and Social Rights. We believe that this policy is manifestly unjust. It also sits ill at ease with Iran’s history of respect for learning.

We call upon the Government of Iran to allow full and unfettered access to education for all members of the Iranian Baha’i community, and to cease the harassment of Baha’is at any and all centres of learning in Iran.

Lord Parekh of Kingston-upon-Hull

Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws

Deborah Orr

Mairead Corrigan Maguire

Nobel Peace Laureate

Professor Stephen Chan

Department of Political and International Studies, SOAS

Professor Geraldine van Bueren

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