NEW YORK (BWNS) — As the new academic year got under way, young Baha'is in Iran again found the door to higher education closed.

Although in its public stance the Iranian government maintains that Baha'is are free to attend university, reports over the past few weeks indicate that the policy of preventing Baha'is from obtaining higher education remains in effect.

Baha'i students attempting to gain admittance to universities and other institutions this fall found that their entrance examination results were frozen and their files listed as “incomplete” on the Web site of the national testing organization.

Baha’is who had successfully enrolled in universities in previous years continue to be expelled. And those who have sought redress through the courts have been disappointed, their cases rejected.

“As has been the case for the last four years, the Iranian government continues to use a series of devious ploys to prevent young Iranian Baha’is from receiving higher education,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

“The effect of the government’s policies is to close the doors of universities to Baha’is, despite Iran’s supposed commitment to international laws upholding the right to education. “Our plea to the international community, and especially to professors, administrators and students everywhere, is that they raise their voices on behalf of Iranian Baha’i students,” said Ms. Dugal.

Read the full story on the Baha'i World News Service website.

There is currently an ongoing campaign to raise awareness about the denial of higher education to Baha’is in Iran - learn how you might be able to help Baha'i students in Iran.