Arrest of 14 Baha’i citizens living in Mazandaran Province

Human Rights in Iran – Thursday, September 1, 2022 – Security agents in Sari and Qaemshahr cities of Mazandaran Province arrested fourteen Baha’i citizens and searched the homes of some of these citizens.

According to the report of Human Rights in Iran, on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, Bita Haghighi, Anis Sanaei, Golbon Fallah, Hengeme Alipour, Afsaneh Nematian, Mojir Samimi, Mani Gholinejad, Nazanin Goli, Sam Samimi, Sanaz Hekmatshoar, Mahsa Fat’hi, Samieh Gholinejad, Negar Darabi and Basir Samimi, fourteen Baha’i citizens residing in Sari and Qaemshahr cities of Mazandaran province were arrested by the security forces, after searching theirs houses and confiscating their personal belongings.

An informed source told the reporter of Human Rights in Iran about this massive arrest: “Intelligence Ministry agents arrested all of these citizens except Golbon Fallah and Sanaz Hekmatshoar around 3:00 PM while they were at Mojir Samimi’s house. Later, the agents went to Bita Haghighi’s house and searched her house, then they searched the house of Sanaz Hekmatshoar and Golbon Fallah, two Baha’is living in Qaemshahr and confiscated some of their personal items such as mobile phones, religious books, and after arresting them, these people were transferred to the central detention center of the Sari Intelligence Department for interrogation and filing of a case.”

According to the circular of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, Baha’i citizens in Iran are among the people without citizenship rights. Deprivation of Iran’s Baha’is in the form of sealing business premises, denial of the right to education from elementary school to higher education, destruction of their cemeteries and other holy places, and the imposition of other social restrictions are examples of these abuses.

On July 21, 2022, the World Baha’i Community had issued a statement warning about the increase in security pressures and the widespread wave of arrests, suppression and deprivation of Iranian Baha’is from their citizenship rights in Iran.

Also, On August 23, 2022, Amnesty International issued a request for immediate action, condemning the repression and applying security and social pressures on the Baha’i community of Iran, calling for an end to the repression of the Baha’is of Iran.

Suppression of religious minorities violates Articles 2, 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Articles 2 and 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which emphasizes the right of individuals to practice religious rituals, carry out manifestation and religious education, either alone or in community with others and in public or private.

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