20 Bahais receive heavy sentences in Yazd

HRANA News Agency – A court in Yazd has sentenced 20 Bahais to a total of 78 years in prison.

 

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on August 1, 2011, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence raided many Bahai homes in the cities of Yazd , Isfahan, Kerman and Arak, and arrested 17 Bahais. Two weeks later, three more Bahais were arrested in Yazd. After one month in detention, they were all released on bail. About a year later they were tried, and given sentences totaling 78 years. These sentences have only now been confirmed by the court of review. They are as follows: Continue reading “20 Bahais receive heavy sentences in Yazd”

11 Sunni activists arrested in Ahwaz

HRANA News Agency – 11 Arab Sunni activists have been arrested during last week in Ahwaz.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Ayyub Ahmadi, Said Khezri Hamadi, Ali Ravanbakhsh, Khalaf Zobeydi, Abdolreza Jalai and Naser Jalai were all arrested during last week. Continue reading “11 Sunni activists arrested in Ahwaz”

Four Sunni prisoners still in danger of execution

HRANA News Agency – Four Sunni prisoners in Rajai Shahr prison in Iran are still in danger of execution, despite promises by the Iranian authorities to revoke their death sentences.

 

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the death sentences for the men, Hamed Ahmadi, Jamshed Dehghani, Jahangir Dehghani and Kamal Molayee, were confirmed by the Supreme Court, and their cases were sent to the Implementation of Sentences court, Branch 1 of Shahid Moghadasi court in Tehran. Continue reading “Four Sunni prisoners still in danger of execution”

Sonya Ahmadi returns to prison in Mashhad

HRANA News Agency – Sonya Ahmadi, returned to Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad on April 17, after three months’ furlough.

 

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), she began serving her 5-year sentence, on charges of teaching the Bahai Faith and membership of the Bahai community, on September 2, 2012, but she was released early on January 10, 2014, with the promise that her complete freedom would follow. However on April 10, 2014, she was telephoned to say she would have to continue serving her prison sentence. Continue reading “Sonya Ahmadi returns to prison in Mashhad”

Sunni prisoner awaiting execution transferred to hospital

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad Gharibi, a Sunni prisoner of conscience awaiting execution in Iran, was transferred to Sina hospital in Karaj for a short while on Wednesday morning following a deterioration in his health condition.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Gharibi, who was being held in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, had been prevented from receiving adequate medical care by the authorities. Continue reading “Sunni prisoner awaiting execution transferred to hospital”

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A Sunni prisoner transferred to an unknown location

HRANA News Agency – Seyed Farzad Hosseini, a Sunni prisoner of conscience in Iran, was removed from ward 10 of Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj on April 15th and taken to an unknown location by the Iranian authorities.

 

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), there has been no news on his condition or whereabouts. Continue reading “A Sunni prisoner transferred to an unknown location”

A Yarsani citizen committed suicide due to insults on his belief

HRANA News Agency – Hekmat Safari, a Yarsani conscript, who was serving in IRGC, committed suicide, due to high level of pressure and insults from his commanders.

 

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Hekmat Safari, the Yarsani conscript, committed suicide with his duty weapon, due to continuous harassment of superiors and commanders of defense barrack of revolutionary guard of Bijar town, on Kurdistan province, on Sunday April 7. Continue reading “A Yarsani citizen committed suicide due to insults on his belief”

Another Bahai business closed in Semnan

HRANA News Agency – An optician’s shop owned by Afrasayab Sobhani was closed by the authorities in Semnan on April 8.

 

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Mr. Sobhani is serving a one-year prison term, and one of the other Bahais of Semnan has been running the business so that his family has the means of livelihood. Continue reading “Another Bahai business closed in Semnan”

Senior Iranian cleric gifts illuminated Bahai text to Bahai community

HRANA News Agency – In a symbolic and unprecedented move, Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani, a prominent Muslim cleric in Iran, announced that he has gifted to the Bahais of the world an illuminated work of calligraphy of a paragraph from Baha’u’llah’s Kitab-e Aqdas.

 

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA),   Ayatollah Tehrani states on his website that he prepared the calligraphy of the verse as a “symbolic action to serve as a reminder of the importance of valuing human beings, of peaceful coexistence, of cooperation and mutual support, and avoidance of hatred, enmity and blind religious prejudice.” Ayatollah Tehrani presents this exquisite gift to the Bahais of the world, particularly to the Bahais of Iran, who he says “have suffered in manifold ways as a result of blind religious prejudice.” He further states that this act is “an expression of sympathy and care from me and on behalf of all my open-minded fellow citizens.” Continue reading “Senior Iranian cleric gifts illuminated Bahai text to Bahai community”

Three Sunni prisoners released from Rajai Shahr prison

HRANA News Agency – Three Sunni prisoners of conscience were released from Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj yesterday.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Shaykh Mohammad Baraee, a Sunni scholar from Bukan, West Azerbaijan province, was released on parole after five years of imprisonment. Two other Sunni preachers, Hesam Mohammadi and Abdollah Khosrozadeh, were also released yesterday towards the end of their five-year prison sentences. Continue reading “Three Sunni prisoners released from Rajai Shahr prison”