A/HRC/28/26 F. Treatment of religious and ethnic minorities 44. The Secretary-General remains concerned at reports about the situation of religious and ethnic minorities, which continue to endure abuses and discrimination. The President and other high-profile officials have publicly pledged to ensure equality, to uphold freedom of belief and religion, to extend protection to all religious groups and to amend legislation that discriminates against minority groups. In their comments on the present report, the Iranian authorities pointed out that the Constitution provides equal rights to all and that no person is prosecuted on the basis of their affiliation to a particular religious or ethnic minority group. 45. The above-mentioned commitments have not, however, been translated into results, and discrimination against ethnic and religious groups persists in law and practice (A/69/306, para. 40). Members of ethnic and religious minority groups continue to face persecution, including arrest and imprisonment, the denial of economic opportunities, expulsion from educational institutions, deprivation of the right to work, and closure of businesses and the destruction of religious sites, such as cemeteries and prayer centres. Individuals seeking greater recognition for their cultural and linguistic rights risk facing harsh penalties, including capital punishment. 46. Reports of incitement targeting the Baha’i faith and its adherents, and the destruction of sites of religious and cultural value, such as cemeteries, are of serious concern. In a press statement issued on 4 September 2014, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief urged the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to take urgent action to stop the destruction of a Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz by Revolutionary Guards. He stressed that attacks on Baha’i cemeteries were in violation of the freedom of religion or belief, because they were an essential part of how people exercise and manifest their right to freedom of religion or belief and their significance goes beyond their physical presence.28 In their comments on the present report, the Iranian authorities pointed out that burial in the cemetery had been banned since 1981 and that a substitute cemetery had been designated for Baha’is in Shiraz. They added that the destruction of the cemetery was based on public health reasons, not to denigrate the Baha’i faith. 47. In his most recent report to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran reported on the arrest, detention and prosecution of Christians, Sufi or Dervish Muslims and Sunni Muslims for organizing religious meetings or activities. He noted that, of 150 Sunni Muslims currently detained, the majority had been charged with serious security offences, and at least 49 Protestant Christians were being detained for their involvement in informal house churches (A/69/356, paras. 47-53). 48. At the end of the period under review, 33 members of the Kurdish community were reportedly on death row after having been sentenced to death on national security-related 28 In August 2014, Revolutionary Guards in Shiraz reportedly vandalized and desecrated an old Baha’i cemetery, where approximately 950 Baha’is were buried. They allegedly erected a sign at the cemetery detailing plans to build a cultural and sports centre, a mosque, a library, a restaurant, a theatre and a child-care facility on the site. Remains that had been disinterred during initial excavations in April are said to have been thrown into a nearby trench. The commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Shiraz allegedly stated that the Baha’is had “no rightful place” in Iranian society and that the Islamic regime would not take note of a “foul, unclean and rootless sect”. See joint press statement by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 4 September 2014. 13