Imprisoned Sunni scholar taken to an unknown location

HRANA News Agency – Shaykh Fathi Mohammad Naghshbandi, a Sunni scholar who was imprisoned in Zahedan central prison in Iran, has been transferred to an unknown location.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Iranian officials removed Shaykh Naghshbandi from Zahedan Central prison without warning on Wednesday 19 November 2014, before transferring him to an unknown location. Concerns are growing about the reason for the sudden unexplained transfer.

There is no news about his condition or whereabouts.

The Sunni scholar, who was active in preaching Sunni teachings in Iran, was also the Friday prayer Imam of the city of Rask in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.

He was arrested along with several other Sunni activists in 2012 following the death of a pro-government cleric who was killed by unknown men in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.

Shaykh Naghshbandi and the Sunni activists, who have denied any involvement with the killing, were subjected to severe torture in detention. Interrogators also forced them to appear on camera and make false ‘confessions’.

Sunni scholars and preachers, especially those active in criticizing the regime, face imprisonment and even execution after being convicted of fabricated charges.

Often, Sunni preachers and activists are rounded up following an incident in the area, and are falsely accused of involvement in an attempt by the authorities to justify their arrest. There have been cases where a single incident has been used to justify the imprisonment of dozens of different individuals.

In this case alone, the death of the pro-government cleric has been used as a pretext to convict at least ten Sunni activists, including Shaykh Fathi Mohammad Naghshbandi.

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