The government of Canada has expressed its concern over the arrest of six Iranian Bahai followers in Iran and has called for their release.
Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said the six, who were detained in Iran on May 14, "were detained solely on the basis of their faith," the French news agency AFP reports.
Bernier said the detentions represent the "ongoing decline" in Iran's rights situation.
The Bahai faith is banned in Iran. In January, an Iranian court sentenced more than 50 Bahai members for antigovernment activities.
