HRANA News Agency – The graduation ceremony for Sunni students at the Imam Shafi’i religious school in Kargan in Minab County, Hormozgan province, was cancelled following pressure from the Iranian authorities.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the governor of Minab and the Ministry of Intelligence both ordered that the ceremony, due to take place tomorrow, should be cancelled. Continue reading “Sunni graduation ceremony cancelled”
HRANA News Agency – Amanullah Mostaqim one of the imprisoned staff members of the Bahai Open University (BIHE) in Iran, returned to prison on May 2, although he has a certificate from the Medical Examiner to say that he is unfit for prison.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), he was summoned by security officials and taken to prison when he responded. In recent weeks he has been receiving radiation therapy, and he suffers from a heart ailment. Doctors have told him he should live the rest of his life in a quiet environment without stress. Continue reading “Amanullah Mostaqim returns to prison”
HRANA News Agency – Concerns are growing for the welfare of a Sunni youth who has been detained without charge in Iran for more than two months.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Ahmad Sohrabi, the son of Yusef Sohrabi (a Sunni scholar who was executed in Iran in 2008), was arrested on 18 February 2014 in Iranshahr, Sistan-Baluchestan province. Witnesses say that he was blindfolded by Intelligence agents before being taken to an unknown location, with reports suggesting that he was being held ‘under pressure’ in the Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Iranshahr. Continue reading “Sunni youth detained for more than two months without charge”
HRANA News Agency – Three Sunni prisoners of conscience have been sentenced to death in Iran after being convicted of ‘enmity against God through spreading propaganda against the regime’.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the men, Mohammad Kayvan Karimi, Amjad Salehi and Omid Payvand, who were active in preaching Sunni Islam, were informed of their death sentences through the lawyer assigned to their case. Continue reading “Three more Sunni preachers to be hanged in Iran”
HRANA News Agency – Shokrollah Sakhravi, known as Shaker born in 1971, the habitant of Kooy-e-Golestan, married and has 2 children, has been arrested for his religious activities by intelligence service forces of Ahvaz and is kept in the intelligence service detention center.
One of the relatives of Sakhravi said to HRANA’s reporter, “security and intelligence service forces took his personal computer and some books during his arrest. This Sunni activist was arrested almost 19 days ago and is kept in the intelligence service detention center but his family does not know the reason of his arrest”. Continue reading “A Sunni activist arrested in Ahvaz”
HRANA NEws Agency – Nasim Baqeri has been arrested by security forces who came to her home in Tehran.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), she was taken to prison to begin serving a four-year sentence for “acting against national security through membership of the Baha’i Institute BIHE.” Continue reading “Nasim Baqeri taken to prison”
HRANA News Agency – For the past two months, the Bahai cemetery in Ahvaz has been closed and the small road leading to it has been blocked by a barricade of pre-cast concrete panels.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), thus far no official has been found who will admit responsibility. A month ago, the Bahais sought to bury a member of their community in the cemetery and were unable to do so. Continue reading “Bahai cemetery in Ahvaz sealed off”
HRANA News Agency – At least five Sunni students have been arrested in Iran in recent weeks, all of whom were students at the Imam Shafi’i religious school in Evaz, Fars province.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), two students, Nooraga Vakili and Mohammad Nikzad, who were in school during their examination period, were arrested on Wednesday. They had previously been told to report to the Ministry of Intelligence after the completion of their exams.
Habibollah Sarbazi, a human rights activist, told the HRANA, “Following pressure on Shaykh Ansari, the director of the Imam Shafi’i religious school, these two Sunni students who were both wanted by the security forces were arrested on the day before their examinations were due to finish on Thursday. They [therefore] failed to complete their course exams.”
Three more Sunni students from the school, Hassan Dashteh, Mohammad Ranjbar and Mohammad Bigdeli, were arrested on 21 April 2014 and taken to an unknown location.
Speaking about the three arrests, a source told the human rights group Baloch Campaign, “Shaykh Ansari, the director of the Imam Shafi’i religious school, tried to contact every state agency to investigate the condition of these students, but none responded.”
“Only the head of the police in Evaz said that they were arrested in connection with a recent school trip to the province of Sistan and Baluchestan,” he said.
The latest arrests appear to be part of a growing crackdown on Sunni Muslims residing in the Shia-ruled Iran, with a sharp increase in the number of arrests reported in recent weeks.
HRANA News Agency – Five men who were active in preaching Sunni Islam were arrested on 18 February 2014 in their homes in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province. The news follows the arrest of five other Sunni preachers last week in Bukan, West Azerbaijan province.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Soran Fatahi and Abdol Rahim Chana, as well as three brothers; Abdol Hadi Azrem, Mehdi Azrem and Abdol Salam Azrem, were arrested in Mahabad last week. Continue reading “Five more Sunni preachers arrested in Mahabad”
HRANA News Agency – The asthmatic mother of a Sunni detainee has been hospitalized after being beaten by Iranian forces during the arrest of five Sunni preachers last week.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the five Sunni preachers, Masoud Javadi, Namegh Doldol, Mahmoud Rasoolizadeh, Mohammad Mohammadi and Ibrahim Rasooli were violently arrested in early morning raids on their houses last Friday in Bukan, West Azerbaijan province. Continue reading “5 Sunni activists arrested in Bukan”
