Two Yarsani Brothers Detained in Kermanshah

On June 12, 2024, Shoja and Pourya Mennati Menjegh-Tapeh, adherents of the Yarsanism faith, were arrested by security forces in Kermanshah.

According to reports from Kurdpa, they were transferred to a detention facility operated by the Ministry of Intelligence in the area. The brothers, who had been serving their sentences under house arrest, were taken into custody during their routine daily check-in at Cheshmeh-Sefid Prison.

Previously, in October-November 2022, they were arrested during the 21st annual ceremony honoring Seyed Khalil Alinejad, a revered Yarsan figure. The Kermanshah Criminal Court subsequently sentenced them to one year in prison and 74 lashes for “disturbing public order.”

Yarsanism, also known as Ahl-e Haqq, is a syncretic religion that originated in western Iran during the late 14th century under the leadership of Sultan Sahak. As a religious minority, Yarsan followers often face intimidation and persecution at the hands of the security and judicial systems of the regime.

Yarsan Civil Activist Seyyed-Karam Abbasi Arrested

On December 1, 2022, security forces violently arrested Yarsan civil activist Seyyed-Karam Abbasi and took him to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Yarsan civil activist Seyyed-Karam Abbasi was beaten and arrested by security forces.

One day before his arrest, his two brothers, Syeed-Amin and Seyyed-Soroush Abbasi and five other Yarsan followers were also arrested by the road police on the way to Bisotun, Kermanshah Province.

According to an informed source, all three brothers were beaten during the arrest; their houses were searched and damaged.

The reason for these arrests and their whereabouts are still unknown.

Yarsanism, Ahl-e Haqq is a syncretic religion founded by Sultan Sahak in the late 14th century in western Iran. As a religious minority, Yarsan followers are subjected to intimidation and prosecution by regime security and judicial systems.

 

Mohammad Ghanbari set himself on fire in front of Islamic Parliament

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad Ghanbari, a member of Ahl-e Haqq, set himself on fire in front of the Islamic Parliament on Saturday morning to protest against the government’s failure to address the grievances of this religious minority.  Ghanbari suffered severe burns and was immediately taken to the hospital by the parliament’s security personnel.  Finally, he succumbed to his injuries and died at Tehran’s Shahid Motahari Hospital in late afternoon.

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Two Kurds die of self-immolation

HRANA News Agency – Two followers of Ahl-e Haqq in Kurdistan set themselves on fire in protest to the persecution of another member of this group.  Ahl-e Haqq is a religious minority whose members are mostly ethnic Kurds.
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