Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird issued a statement marking the fourth anniversary of the imprisonment of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders. “Canada remains deeply concerned by Iran’s ongoing, persistent and pervasive persecution of religious minorities,” said Minister Baird. “Today, on the fourth anniversary of the arbitrary arrest and detention of seven Iranian Baha'i community leaders, we are again reminded of the troubling state of human rights in Iran. Iranian authorities continually undermine the right to freedom of religion by tolerating and even encouraging persecution of Baha'is, Christians and members of other minority religious communities. Freedom of religion is a universal human right…We urge Iran to uphold its international obligations and allow for freedom of religion, and to respect the fundamental rights of its people.”