Category: Religious Minorities

Yarsan Civil Activist Siavash Hayati Sentenced to One Year Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Kermanshah, Siavash Hayati, Yaresan

Recently, the Kermanshah Revolutionary Court sentenced Siavash Hayati, spokesperson for the Advisory Forum of Yarsan Civil Activists, to one year in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Siavash Hayati, a member of the Yarsan community, was sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

On September 23, 2022, security forces arrested Hayati in Kermanshah. He was released on bail after fifteen days.

Hayati faced other arrests on prior occasions.

At Least 30 Yarsani Followers Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Kermanshah province, Khalil Alinejhad, Sahneh, Yarsani

Many Yarsani believers have been arrested in the recent week, 30 of whom have been identified.

On November 18, 2022, at least 30 Yarsani followers were arrested in Sahneh county of Kermanshah Province during the twenty-first commemoration of Khalil Alinejhad, a well-known Yarsani figure who was killed in 2001.

An informed source told HRANA, “the security forces present at the commemoration turned this event violent by shooting and using tear gas.” At Least 30 people have been arrested and taken to an unknown place.

The names of those arrested during this event are as follows:

Kaki Saeed Almasi
Siavash Kaliani
Kamyab Heidari
Seyed Ali Dakei
Seyed Shahoo Shah-Ebrahimi
Afshin Azimi
Meysam Azimi
Hamid Zandi Nejhad
Navid Hassanlou
Seyed Foad Shah-Ebrahimi
Faezeh Ranai
Naghi Rahmani
Masoum Razavi
Hamid Afshari
Rashid Mohammadi
Bardia Tajdini
Meraj Hemmati
Amin Malekzade
Farzad Rahmatabadi
Seyed Fariborz Shah-Ebrahimi
Noshad Taheri
Ali Nazari
Seyed Farhad Zalnouri
Seyed Fereydoun Taheri
Mohammad Bahrami
Ghadir Rahimi
Hamid Gorgin
Mehr-Ali Hemmati
Nemat Pourvali
Shahrouz Esmaeili

Two Gonabadi Dervishes Arrested in Karaj and Gorgan

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Faezeh Abdipour, Gonabadi Dervishes, Saeed Soltanpour

Saeed Soltanpour and Faezeh Abdipour, two Gonabadi Dervishes, are among those recently arrested.

Saeed Soltanpour, Gonabadi Dervish, was recently arrested in Karaj. Soltanpour’s home and belongings were searched at the time of his arrest. It is worth noting that Soltanpour had also previously served prison and exile terms for a previous conviction.

Faezeh Abdipour, Gonabadi Dervish, was arrested in Gorgan on November 22, 2022, and was taken to an unknown place.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, over 17400 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive report here.

Baha’i Citizen Parva Behdad Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Bahais, HRANA, Parwa Behdad

On November 14, 2022, security forces arrested Baha’i citizen Parva Behdad at her house in Isfahan and took her to an undisclosed location. The agents also searched her home and confiscated some of her personal belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on November 14, 2022, Parva Behdad was arrested at her house in Isfahan.

The reason for this arrest, charges and her whereabouts are still unknown.

 

Baha’i Individual Leili Karami Arrested in Shiraz

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, Leili Karami, Mahsa Amini, Shiraz

On October 26, 2022, security forces arrested Baha’i citizen Leily Karami at her house in Shiraz and transferred her to a detention facility known as House No 100. The agents searched her home and confiscated some of her personal belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Baha’i citizen Leily Karami was arrested at her house in Shiraz.

The reason for her arrest and the charge is still unknown.

 

 

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Growing Concerns about Baha’i Prisoner Badi Khazei Following Evin Prison Fire

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Badi Khazei, Baha'i, Evin Prison fire

Since the Evin Prison fire, Baha’i prisoner Badi Khazei has not yet contacted his family. His family’s frequent inquiry has remained unanswered by prison officials.

An informed source told HRANA that, last week, Khazei travelled to Tehran from Bandar Abbas for some administrative work. On October 7 or 8, several plainclothes agents arrested him in the street and took him to Great Tehran Penitentiary. They transferred him to Evin prison once they realized he was a Baha’i. Since the Evin Prison incident on October 15, he has not contacted his family.

Baha’i Citizen Parisa Roohi Zadegan Imprisoned

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News, Religious Minorities
Adel-Abad Prison, HRANA, Parisa Roohi Zadegan, Shiraz

On October 10, 2022, Baha’i citizen Parisa Roohi Zadegan was arrested at her house in Shiraz to serve her two-year sentence in Adel-Abad Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Parisa Roohi Zadegan was arrested and transferred to Adel-Abad Prison for sentencing.

In 2016, security forces arrested Roohi Zadegan and then released her on bail. Her trial began on June 15, 2020, until May 18, 2022, when the Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced her to two years in prison on the charges of “propaganda against the regime, forming anti-regime groups and collaboration with hostile countries in the form of Baha’i organization.”

 

Baha’i Citizen Aida Rasti Arrested 13 Days after Release from Prison

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News, Religious Minorities
Aida Rasti, Baha'is Citizen

On September 28, 2022, security forces arrested Baha’i citizen Aida Rasti at her house and took her to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. During the arrest, the agents searched her home and confiscated some of her personal belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on September 28, 2022, Baha’is citizen Aida Rasti was arrested by security forces.

An informed source close to her family told HRANA that she was arrested again just 13 days after release from prison. According to this source, Rasti has been denied access to her lawyer and family visitation. The judicial and prison officials have unanswered her family’s frequent enquire.

The reason for this arrest and the charges are still unknown.

Baha’is Citizen Enayatollah Naeimi Arrested

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News, Religious Minorities
Afif Naeimi, Bahais, Enayatollah Naeimi, Fariba Kamal Abadi, Mahvash Sabet

Last Wednesday, September 28, security forces arrested Baha’is citizen Enayatollah Naeimi in Isfahan. The agents searched his house, workplace and garden in the Isfahan suburbs. Naeimi was a member of a now-disbanded Baha’i group known as the “Yaran e Iran” or “Friends of Iran,” which addressed the spiritual and social needs of the Baha’i community.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on September 28, 2022, the intelligence agents arrested Baha’is citizen Enayatollah Naeimi in Isfahan.

An informed source told HRANA that Naeimi underwent surgery last year and is now in poor health condition, making him hard to endure jail.

On July 31, 2022, three other members of the “Yaran e Iran” Afif Naeimi, Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamal Abadi were arrested.

More than 300 Christians Express Solidarity with Iranian Protestors

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
HRANA, Iranian Christians, KHMA, Mahsa Amini

Iranian Christians released an open statement announcing their solidarity with the nationwide protests in Iran and condemned the police brutality.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, based on the initiative of KHMA (The Church Is the Right of Christians, more than 300 Iranian Christians issued an open statement supporting the nationwide protests after the death of Mahsa Amini.

According to the statement, Iranian Christians showed support regardless of their location, stating their solidarity with the people. 

The signatories also stated that showing sympathy and verbal consolation is not enough, stressing that people should take action against the Islamic Republic’s43-year oppression.

KHMA has been active since 2018 and strives for the Christians’ freedom of association through establishing the church as a necessary means to protect these individuals against violence.