Alessandro Benedetti

Representative of Bahá'í International Community @BahaiBIC_Europe to the EU, CoE & OSCE - | Tweets my own, RTs not endorsments, comments are mine

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

Organised in collaboration with more than 50 civil society organizations, we were very happy to take part in the #EUFoodJusticeForum, an inaugural high-level forum examining how EU policies shape the realisation of the right to food within the EU and beyond its borders, and the responsibilities they create across global food systems.

During the session titled ‘International Co-Operation for Global Food Systems Transformation’, Alessandro Benedetti, BIC Brussels Representative, said that “discussions surrounding food system transformation are often framed as binary choices or trade-offs, for example between food security and environmental sustainability, or between global integration and local self-sufficiency. Yet, such dichotomies can obscure the possibility of approaches that place the well-being of all at their centre. Accepting the reality of humanity’s interconnection thus calls for addressing challenges without succumbing to these dichotomies.”

BIC Brussels is grateful for the collaborative spirit among the co-organisers that enabled this Forum to take place and looks forward to contributing to future editions.

#foodsystems
#sustainabledevelopment
#policycoherence
#globalgovernance

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

In light of the Youth Forum held during the first plenary session of the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly, which took place in Eswatini last month, BIC’s Addis Ababa and Brussels offices addressed several considerations to both the African and EU delegations.

A joint letter, signed by the two BIC offices accompanying the recommendations, stated, “Ultimately, the success of our shared intercontinental goals depends on joint Africa-Europe strategies being actively shaped by the agency and aspirations of the generation that will inherit and sustain this partnership. It is our hope that these considerations contribute to a dialogue that promotes enduring models of cooperation and collective responsibility”.

The recommendations elaborate on points related to young people’s agency, their capacity for constructive change, and their role as protagonists in development and decision-making.

Link below to read the full set of considerations.

#AfricaEurope
#AUEUPartnership
#AUEU

https://t.co/g2hZDj3R93

[Bahá'í International Community - Human Rights @BahaiBIC_Rights]

Thank you to Christian Solidarity Worldwide for calling on the Egyptian government to uphold the rights of Bahá'ís in the country—and "to reflect the rights provided in the Egyptian constitution and the personal commitment of President Sisi towards promoting freedom of religion or belief and equality of citizenship."

https://t.co/AUPq7t2Tgj

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

Thank you to the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, @KajsaOllongren, for raising serious concerns about the systematic discrimination facing the Bahá'i community in Qatar, including the cancellation of residence permits of community members serving in official roles.

#humanrights #bahai #qatar

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

Thank you to Member of the European Parliament,@Nicolasdlparte, for raising the urgent cases of Peyvand and Borna Naimi and the persecution of the Baha'is in Iran at the European Parliament yesterday.

#bahai #europeanparliament #humanrights #iran

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

Thank you to Member of the European Parliament, @ReinholdLopatka, for raising the persecution of Bahá'is in Iran during the plenary in Strasbourg yesterday.

#bahai #humanrights #europeanparliament #Iran

[Baha'is Droits Libertés @baebf91909]

🚨Dans une déclaration conjointe, 21 parlementaires français s’alarment du sort de Peyvand et Borna Naimi, deux prisonniers en Iran qui endurent tortures et simulacres d’exécutions, en raison de leur appartenance à la foi bahá’íe.

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

Last week, we were very happy to host a roundtable discussion titled “Assessing Generational Renewal in the EU Farming Sector: The Role of Education.”

The event brought together a diverse range of participants, including representatives from civil society, farmer, youth and environmental organizations, as well as EU institutions, Member State representatives and academia. Together, participants examined the role of social perceptions, structural factors, and education and training systems in attracting, preparing, and retaining young people in agricultural and environmental work. Participants also shared examples and practices that have helped support generational renewal.

The discussion highlighted the aspirations of young people, including their broader vision for social change, their strong sense of justice and commitment to environmental stewardship, and their desire to contribute to the development of their communities. We also explored the role of both informal and formal education systems in creating new entry pathways for young and new farmers, particularly those without a family farming background.

Speakers shared how efforts to support generational renewal can be strengthened when they also nurture young people’s sense of purpose, identity and feelings of belonging, while reinforcing their sense of agency and ownership in contributing to the well-being of the communities in which they live.

#eu #generationalrenewal #generationalrenewalinagriculture #euagri #euagrifood

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

Thank you MEP @MGTeodorescu for hosting an insightful exchange at the @Europarl_EN on the situation of Bahá’ís and other minorities across the Middle East.

Our office was grateful for the opportunity to share the realities currently facing Bahá’í communities in Iran, Egypt, and Qatar, and to contribute to this important dialogue on freedom of religion and human rights.

We look forward to continuing this collaboration.

[Bahá'í International Community - Human Rights @BahaiBIC_Rights]

When the Egyptian state refuses to register a Bahá'í marriage, the consequences extend far beyond the couple. Their children cannot be registered in government records. They are denied essential services including immunisations and school enrolment. The family has no legal standing to claim inheritance, custody, or pensions. Residency and citizenship are denied—even when every legal requirement is met.

Between 2024 and 2025, at least six documented cases saw the "marriage" field on Bahá'í national ID cards changed to "single" by the Civil Status Authority, on instructions from the Ministry of Interior. Couples who had previously won court rulings affirming their marriages found that, when their IDs were renewed, their married status had been reversed.
#EgyptianBahaiRights

[Bahá'í International Community - Human Rights @BahaiBIC_Rights]

In an unexpected move, over 40 percent of Qatar’s Bahá’í population faces imminent expulsion from the country.

The Bahá’í International Community is alarmed that the Qatari government is carrying out a deliberate campaign of religious erasure aimed at one of the religious communities that has been present in the region for over 100 years, and whose presence in Qatar—well before the establishment of the modern Qatari state—is documented as spanning many decades.

Read full statement: https://t.co/T8vbyQi20n

[FCDO FoRB Envoy @FCDO_FoRB_Envoy]

The UK is closely tracking the dire situation for religious minorities in Iran.
This includes abhorrent reports that Baha’is have been subject to torture and mock execution.
We will continue to pursue accountability.

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

Thank you to MEP Evin Incir for powerfully raising the urgent cases of two Baha'i youth, Peyvand and Borna Naimi, and for highlighting the ongoing pattern of scapegoating of the Baha'i community in Iran.

#bahai #europeanparliament #iran #humanrights @BahaiBIC_Rights

[Bahá'í International Community - Human Rights @BahaiBIC_Rights]

Thank you @USCIRF for highlighting the persecution of the Baha'i community in Egypt in your April 2026 update. From the USCIRF report:
1. On systematic exclusion from civic life:
"Baha'is' exclusion from the existing personal status law results in their inability to legally marry, obtain residency permits and birth certificates, pursue formal education, or gather for worship."
2. On the UN's January 2026 intervention:
"In January 2026, multiple United Nations human rights experts called on the Egyptian government to address systematic discrimination against Baha'is, including confiscation of cemeteries, denial of legal recognition and identity documents, and harassment of community members."
3. On Al-Azhar's role in shaping state policy:
"Al-Azhar scholars have argued that recognizing the Baha'i faith would 'rupture the fabric of the community' and 'undermine the public order' in Egypt. This decades-long position has shaped the Egyptian government's discriminatory policies against Baha'is."
#Egypt #Bahai #HumanRights

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

The #euyouthweek starting tomorrow in Brussels is a chance for youth from all over Europe to reflect on the role that young people can play as protagonists of positive change in society.

We are looking forward to contributing to these important conversations in the coming week and beyond.

#youth

[Bahá'í International Community - Human Rights @BahaiBIC_Rights]

Thank you @Almanassa_AR for the coverage noting that Egyptian Bahá’ís are not seeking special treatment, but rather full citizenship rights, following the Court of Cassation’s overturning of two rulings that had recognised the marriage of two Bahá’ís. #EgyptianBahaiRights

[Isabel Wiseler-Lima @iwiseler]

Peyvand Naimi est en danger.
Torturé. Isolé. Forcé à avouer des crimes qu’il n’a pas commis.
Son seul tort : être Baha’i.
Soutenons-le ! Lui et tous ceux ainsi injustement emprisonnés.
Continuons à défendre sans relâche les droits humains et la liberté de croire.

[Baha’i International Community Brussels Office @BahaiBIC_Europe]

It was a pleasure for our office to participate once again in the Forum for the Future of Agriculture this week. The Forum continues to provide a meaningful and thoughtful space for dialogue on sustainable agriculture and environmental challenges.

This year’s discussions recgonised that agriculture in the EU does not operate in isolation from the broader global context. European farmers are therefore navigating not only local realities, but also wider global developments that shape environmental pressures, impact their livelihoods, and affect the overall resilience of our shared food system.

The BIC’s contribution has similarly been highlighting that today’s global food system is deeply interconnected and interwoven with international trade, environmental policies, and economic dynamics. This raises an important question which we have been exploring together with others: If we acknowledge that we are operating within a single interconnected global system, how can we reimagine it to place interdependence at its core?

#ForumForAg
@ForumForAg

[Robert Řehák @Robert_Rehak]

As #Passover and #Easter celebrate liberation from slavery and victory over death, many still face execution for their faith. #PeyvandNaimi, a young #Baha’i in #Iran, is being tortured and faces death on false charges. He needs our voice. Let us strive for his #Freedom. #IRFBA

[EL PAÍS @el_pais]

La Comunidad Internacional Bahaí trata de salvar contra el reloj a Peyvand Naeimi, un iraní de 30 años que, según denuncian, ha sufrido al menos dos simulacros de ejecución y toda clase de torturas. Forma parte de una minoría religiosa perseguida en Irán https://t.co/EtrdxOmwiK