Category: Religious Minorities

Christian Priest, Behnam Irani, Arrested

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Religious Minorities
Behnam Irani

HRANA News Agency – On Tuesday, May 31, 2011, security forces raided Behnam Irani’s house in Karaj and arrested him.Behnam Irani is a Christian priest.

During the arrest, security forces assaulted and insulted Behnam Irani in front of his wife and two young children and placed him in handcuffs before taking him away.Previously, Behnam Irani had been summoned to report to Rajai-Shahr Prison in Karaj within twenty days in order to begin serving his one year sentence.It is not clear why this Christian priest was beaten and arrested before his deadline was reached.

According to a report by Rahsa News, judicial authorities have informed Behnam Irani that after he spends one year in prison, his five year suspended sentence will begin.

Behnam Irani is a Christian priest who was initially arrested in 2006 and sentenced to a five-year suspended prison term.Four years later, in 2010, he was detained again and released after posting a bail approximately equivalent to $9,500.Subsequently, Behnam Irani was sentenced to a year in prison, but this sentence was reduced by two months as a result of an objection filed by his attorney.

 

Report Compiled on Economic Pressures on Baha’is

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Religious Minorities
Houshang Ghoddousi, Manouchehr Ighanian, Sohrab Kaffashi

May 5, 2010

HRA News Agency – A report received recently from Iran provides details on a few cases of economic pressure put on the Bahá’ís.  It is necessary to note that there are undoubtedly many more such incidents that have gone unreported. According to HRANA,The business license of Mr. Manouchehr Ighanian of Tehran, who owns an optical shop, has not been renewed and he has been sent a warning letter by the Opticians’ Trade Union to close up his shop. Mr. Ighanian has submitted an objection letter to the Trade Union along with appropriate documents. No information bearing on the outcome of his legal action is available at this time.

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At Least Fifteen Baha’i Citizens Summoned and Detained

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Religious Minorities
Afrooz Farmanbardari, Aghae Talei, Aminollah Mostaqim, Favod Moqadam, Kamran Mortezai, Mahmoud Badavam, Mehran Behmradi, Ramin Zibae, Shahin Negari, Sohail Fanbari, Vahid Mokhtari

HRANA News Agency – This morning, with search and arrest warrants, Iran’s Intelligence Agency raided the houses of at least fifteen Baha’i citizens, detained some of them, and seized their personal properties.

 

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the majority of those detained are students attending a provisional university established for Baha’i citizens who are denied the opportunity to study at Iran’s higher education institutes.

 

The names of nine detainees are as follows:

  1. Kamran Mortezai
  2. Vahid Mokhtari
  3. Mahmoud Badavam
  4. Aminollah Mostaqim
  5. Favod Moqadam
  6. Shahin Negari
  7. Afrooz Farmanbardari
  8. Sohail Fanbari
  9. Ramin Zibae

Additionally, Mehran Behmradi and Aghae Talei have been summoned to report to the Intelligence Agency in Shiraz by Tuesday, May 24, 2011.

Baha’i Student Threatened with Expulsion

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Religious Minorities
FariborzMiraki

 

May 5, 2010

 

HRA News Agency –Mr.FariborzMiraki of Tehran, pre-university preparatory year:following the religious studies teacher’s insultingandridiculing the Faith and Bahá’ís, students became curious and asked questions fromMr. Miraki to which he provided answers.

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Baha’i Citizen Arrested in Karaj

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Religious Minorities
Ruhollah Zibahi

HRANA News Agency – On Wednesday, May 12, 2011, after being summoned and arraigned by Karaj’s Revolutionary Court, Ruhollah Zibahi, a Baha’i citizen from Karaj, was transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison.

 

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), in December 2010, Ruhollah Zibahi’s house was searched, and he was told not to leave town until his arraignment.  He has been charged acting against national security.

 

Although Ruhollah Zibahi’s family has posted his bail in the amount of approximately $50,000, he hasn’t been released so far.

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Security Forces Raided the Home of a Baha’i Citizen in Yazd

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Religious Minorities
Majid Islamiof

May 7, 2010

HRA News Agency –On 29 April 2010, the home ofMr. Majid Islamiof Yazd was searched by Intelligence Ministry agents and his personal belongings, including his computer, and Bahá’í books and material were confiscated.

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Shutting Down Baha’i Citizen’s business in Abadan

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Religious Minorities
Hedayatollah Rezaei

HRANA – By a notice from ” Union of Retail workers & Manufacturers , Gold & Silver & Clock & Glasses” the business of a Baha’i citizen in Abadan was shut down.

According to the HRANA reporters, News Organization for  Human Rights Activists in Iran, following continuous pressure on the Iranian Baha’i citizens, the business of a Baha’i  citizen called “Hedayatollah Rezaei” living in Abadan ,(an optic shop), was shut down by a verdict and he was prohibited from working.

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Mahdi Foroutan, a newly turned Christians, was temporarily released from Evin prison

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Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Farshid Fathi, Mahdi Foroutan

Hrana – On the evening of Saturday 20 April, Mahdi Foroutan a new Christian was temporarily released on bail after 105 days of detention in Evin prison.

According to HRANA Reporters, Human Rights News Agency of Iran, Mahdi Foroutan, was released by providing his house ownership, worth 50 million Toman, as bail to the judiciary and thereafter the letter of his release to Evin prison authorities.

In the early hours of Sunday 5 Day 1389 Mahdi Foroutan had been arrested by four Militia men at his father’s house.

Meanwhile, while arresting him security forces had searched the house thoroughly and seized a number of his personal belongings such as computers, books, CD’s which none of them were returned after his release.

It is important to mention that another New Christian called “Farshid Fathi” who was arrested at the same time as Mahdi Foroutan along  several other new Christians in Iran is still detained in Evin prison.

Apparently the judicial authorities have issued a very high bail for his release and based on his family’s inability to pay the bail; he has to stay in detention.

It should be mentioned that there are two people with similar names as “Mahdi Foroutan”, which one of them belongs to a Dissident religious groups (Non-Trinitarians), whose court was held along with some other people of his group in Shiraz during last few days.

Sarah Mahboubi, a Baha’i Citizen from Sari , Arrested

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Religious Minorities
Sarah Mahboubi

HRANA News Agency – On Saturday April 9, 2011, Sarah Mahboubi, a Baha’i college student deprived of an education, was arrested for the second time in a year and transferred to the detention center located at the Intelligence Agency in Sari [the capital of Mazandaran Province, Iran].

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the intelligence officers of Sari arrested Sarah Mahboubi after searching her family home and seizing books, handwritten notes, CDs and a computer from her residence.

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Two Christian Citizens Arrested While Traveling On the New Year Holidays

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Religious Minorities
Hamid Najafi, Mahzar Najafi, Saleh Jahangir Zadeh

HRANA NEWS – On Wednesday, March 22, 2011 three citizens who were traveling while the New Year holidays were arrested by intelligence service agents on the road from Salmas to the village of Broshkharan.

According to HRANA Reporters, Iranian Human Rights Agency, Saleh Jahangir Zadeh, son of Saied, from Village of Broshkhara which is a county of Salmas, along Hamid Najafi and his wife, Mahzar Najafi, Christian citizens from city of Karaj who were traveling to this city on the New Year holiday, were arrested by intelligence service agents on Wednesday.

Following this arrest the personal cal of Saleh Jahangir Zadeh has also been seized by intelligence service bureau.

It is important to note that the efforts made by families of those arrested to follow up on their conditions have not been successful so far and 48 hours after their arrest, there is still no information regarding their status and location.