After 14 days, Baha’i citizens Dorsa Dehghani and Sina Kamali Sarvestani are still in detention in an unknown location in Shiraz.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the citizens were arrested separately on June 15 by IRGC intelligence agents.
A source close to their families said that Dehghani and Sarvestani have made a brief calls and spoken with their families but are being interrogated under psychological and physical pressure. The lack of accountability of the security agencies about their condition and whereabouts has caused increasing concern from their families.
Darsa Dehghani was treated for a medical problem before his detention, but he has not had access to his medications since being arrested.
According to unofficial sources, more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.
This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a violation of 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.
