Sina Aghdasi, a Baha’i citizen residing in Tabriz, was arrested today, September 16, by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.
A source close to Aghdasi’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating, “This morning, Mr. Aghdasi was arrested at his home by security forces. During the raid, the security forces searched the house and confiscated his and his family members’ mobile phones.”
No information is currently available regarding the reasons for Sina Aghdasi’s arrest or his place of detention.
This Baha’i citizen has previously been arrested due to his religious beliefs.
Baha’is are subjected to violations of their religious rights, comprising 82% of reports on infringements against religious minorities, according to HRA’s 2023 annual report.
The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.