Among them are Bret Walker, SC; Jeremy Gormly, SC; Julian Burnside, QC; Mark Dreyfus, QC; Winston Terracini, SC; and Terence Tobin, QC. Former Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson also signed the letter. Manijeh Tavakkoli (sister-in-law of imprisoned leader Behrouz Tavakkoli ), Amin Tavakkoli (brother of Behrouz Tavakkoli) and Lili Master at the launch. Credit:Australian Baha'i Community The president of the International Commission of Jurists Australia, John Dowd, QC, also one of the signatories, delivered a keynote address when the letter was launched at NSW Parliament House last month. The imprisoned leaders were all members of an ad hoc leadership group, known as the "Yaran-i-Iran" or "Friends in Iran", that oversaw the basic needs of Iranian Baha'is (such as registering births, deaths and marriages). The five men - Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Vahid Tizfahm - and two women - Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet - were arrested in raids on their homes in 2008.

An arrest warrant was issued 10 months later, the letter says. Jeremy Jones (centre), director of international and community affairs for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council at the launch. Credit:Australian Baha'i Community Their alleged crimes included "spreading corruption on earth" and collaboration with the "tyrannical Quds-occupying regime", which apparently refers to Israel. A trial began on January 12, 2010, after the seven had spent about 20 months in prison without charge. The trial ended on June 14, 2010, after six brief, closed sessions. Dr Natalie Mobini, the director of the Office of External Affairs, Australian Baha'i Community, who was the MC at the launch. Credit:Australian Baha'i Community

Their lawyers, including 2003 Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi, were advised orally that they were being jailed for 20 years. The letter says the seven have never been given charges or a judgment in writing, in violation of the Iranian constitution, procedural fairness and natural justice. It urges Iran to uphold the rule of law and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which it has ratified. Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop told the launch that Australia continued to call for release of the seven and for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Iran. "I continue to reiterate Australia's human rights concerns directly with the Iranian government, including most recently during the visit to Australia by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in March 2016," Ms Bishop said.

"I also raised Australia's concerns during my visit to Iran in April 2015." The message was read by Diyana Mansour from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Baha'i faith is an independent world religion, founded in 1844 in Persia (now Iran). The faith does not have clergy but is administered by annually elected councils of men and women. There are 300,000 Baha'is in Iran; they make up the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority.

The Iranian government has banned the administration of the faith and, in the early '80s, following the inception of the Islamic Republic, many Baha'ís serving on the administrative bodies were executed. The seven Baha'i leaders operated with the knowledge of the authorities until 2008, when they were arrested, jailed and later "tried" and sentenced. About 200 Baha'i communities are spread throughout Australia; the faith's members come from a wide variety of national, ethnic and religious backgrounds. The Baha'i Temple opened in Ingleside above the northern beaches in 1961. The world centre of the faith is in Haifa, Israel, due to the exile of its founder, Baha'u'llah (1817-92) to the Holy Land in 1868.

The Iranian embassy has not replied to the letter.