Tag: Baha’i

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 23, 2018

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ahvaz, Ali Mamveisi, Baha'i, Behrouz Farzandi, Burn Patient, Dehdasht, Dehloran, Esmail Bakhshi, Gonabad, Ilam, Iran National Steel Industrial Group, IRICO, Kulbar, Kurdish, Marjan Davari, Nader Fatorehchi, Reza Khandan, self-immolation, Shahryar Cyrus, Teachers, Urmia

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 23rd, 2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

(1) Iranian border patrol shot a 27-year-old Kurdish kulbar, Ali Mamveisi, in Sardasht. He was severely injured and was transferred to a hospital in Urmia.

(2) A 36-year-old woman committed suicide by self-immolation on December 22 in Kooy-e Saadi district in Ahvaz.

(3) In the last two days, six workers of Iran National Steel Industrial Group were released. More than 43 workers were arrested on December 19.

(4) A prisoner charged with murder was saved from death with forgiveness of the next of kin in Khuzestan.

(5) Behrouz Farzandi , a Baha’i prisoner of war and disabled veteran of Iran-Iraq war, has been denied his degree after completing a bachelor program in Business Administration.

(6) A citizen was severely injured after a mine exploded in Dehloran city in Ilam province.

(7) The Supreme Court rejected the death sentence of Marjan Davari, a 52-year-old translator and scholar in Shahr Ray women’s prison, who was sentenced to death on charge of ‘corruption on earth’ in 2017. She was a translator in the Rah-e-Marefat institution.

(8) Detained civil rights activist Reza Khandan was released on bail. His charges are “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the state” and “encouraging prostitution by promoting non-observance of the hijab.”

(9) Esmail Bakhshi, a labor activist, returned to his workplace. He was a worker of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Argo-Business and was released on bail on December 12. He was detained for 40 days in prison.

(10) Nader Fatourechi’s court was on session on December 23. He confirmed that he faced persecution over his criticism of prison conditions after his detention at Fashafoyeh Prison. He was released on bail.

(11) A woman suffers serious injuries after an acid attack by her 20-years old step-son in Tehran. The two had financial disputes.

(12) The director of burn prevention research center: 40 percent of the burn patients are children and more than 15 percent of them are the women who are the victims of self-immolation.

(13) In a statement, more than 600 teachers requested immediate investigation of the causes and the responsible authorities in a Zahedan kindergarten fire. They warned that more than half of the schools in the country are unsafe.

(14) The appeal court of a Baha’i painter, Shahriar Cyrus, who was arrested on June 2015 and was sentenced to five years in prison will be in session on December 25th. He was accused of ‘assembly and conspiracy against the state’ by offering painting classes. He was a student of Aydeen Aghdashlou, Rouyein Pakbaz, and Ahmad Vakili and had been teaching painting for many years. He has also published articles on philosophy and art history in Iranian newspapers.

(15) More than 60 workers in Iranian Rail Industrial Development Company (IRICO) have been laid off due to company’s financial problems.

(16) Two workers died due to an unsafe workplace in Dehdasht and Gonabad.

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 17, 2018

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Abdolreza Dasti, Ali Etmami, Ali Oghaba, Amin Alavani, Amir Chamani, Baha'i, Child Abuse, Eghbal Ahmadpour, Ehsan Yousefi, Fariborz Sheikhrobat, Gharib Hoyzavi, Hafez Kanaani, Hamed Baseri, Hamed Joudaki, Hossein Davoudi, Issa Marai, Jafar Sobhani, JasemRoumzei, Javad Gholami, Karim Siahi, KazemHeydari, Kourosh Emaeili, Kurdish, Majid Janadeleh, Masoud Afri, Meisam Ali Ghanavati, Mohammad Pourhassan, Mohsen Behbahani, MohsenBalouti, Morteza Akbarian, Mostafa Abayat, Narges Mohammadi, Seyed Ali Javadpour, Seyed Habib Tabatabaei, SeyedAhmad Seyednour, suicide, Taraneh Ghiami, Tarogh Khalafi, Yaser Ebrahimian

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 17th, 2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency(HRANA).

(1) On the 38th day of the National Steel Company workers protest, more than 32 of them have been arrested: Meisam Ali Ghanavati, Issa Marai, Amin Alavani, Morteza Akbarian,Tarogh Khalafi, Masoud Afri, Jafar Sobhani, Mostafa Abayat, Gharib Hoyzavi,Hossein Davoudi, Karim Siahi, Hamed Baseri, Hafez Kanaani, Hamed Joudaki, Kazem Heydari, Yaser Ebrahimian, Majid Janadeleh, Kourosh Emaeili, Ali Oghaba, Mohsen Balouti, Mohammad Pourhassan, Mohsen Behbahani, Seyed Habib Tabatabaei, Jasem Roumzei, Ali Etmami, Seyed Ali Javadpour, Javad Gholami, Abdolreza Dasti, Seyed Ahmad Seyednour, Fariborz Sheikhrobat, Ehsan Yousefi.

(2) Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist who is currently serving a 16 year prison sentence, was transferred to the Legal Medicine Organization office to verify the necessity of her hospitalization.

(3) The workers of five government-owned corporations, National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Bavers Steel Company, Electricity Meter Manufacturing Company, the caviar fishery department of the Iran Fisheries Organization of Golestan province, and Sepehr Windshield Manufacturer, are demanding their 16 months unpaid wages. The unpaid wages has been continuous issue in Iran over the last year.

(4) Two workers were injured today in Tehran, due to unsafe workplaces. Moreover, Tehran Metro Company has notprovided safety work clothing and workwear for their employees in past three years. Iran holds the dubious record for the highest number of deaths and injuries in workplaces.

(5) Another social deprivation case from Iran: this year, approximately 100 thousand children are deprived from going to school.

(6) A child abuse case was reported in Mahabad. The child’s abuse was identified to have taken place by his father that is a drug addict and has abnormal psychological condition. The victim was transferred to the city’s State Welfare organization.

(7) Another 17-year-old girl committed suicide by jumping off a bridge in Isfahan. More than 7% of suicides in Iran are committed by teenagers.

(8) Civil rights activist, Amir Chamani was arrested and transferred to Tabriz prison to begin serving his sentence.  According to Hrana, he has been sentenced to a six-month prison term on charges of “Propaganda against the regime” and “Cooperation with opposition groups”. Chamani has previously been pursued on similar charges. On July 5th, 2012, Chamani received a sentenced of six months’ imprisonment for “insulting both Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the late Ayatollah Khomeini”and “propaganda against the regime”. In another instance, after turning himself in for charges of insulting the President, Chamani was sentenced on January 13,2013, to 40 lashes by the Tabriz Criminal Court. He was dealt with the lashes on June 5, 2013 and was not released from custody until October 2nd of the same year.

(9) After four years, the petition of a Baha’i citizen, Taraneh Ghiami who has been barred from entering university due to her religious beliefs, was denied by the supreme court.

(10) According to the issued verdict in the appeal court of West Azerbaijan province, Eghbal Ahmadpour sentence on a charge of “acting against national security through membership inKurdish opposition parties” has been reduced from five years to six months.According to Hrana, the Urmia Revolutionary Court sentenced Eghbal Ahmadpour tofive years in prison on a charge of “acting against national security through membership in Kurdish opposition parties” on Thursday, October 4, 2018. He was denied access to a trial lawyer. Security forces arrested Ahmadpour on September 11, 2018. He was interrogated and held in solitary confinement for 12 days before being sent to Urmia Prison.

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 16, 2018

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ahvaz, Ali Madani, Asghar Firouzi, Baha'i, Caspian Institution, converted Christian, Gonabadi Darvishes, Hashem Jafarzadeh, Iran National Steel Industrial Group, Kambiz Misaghi, Kheirollah Bakhshi, MAshhad prsion, Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, Molavi Ayyub Ahmadi, Molavi Hashem Jafarzadeh, Monica Alizadeh, Mostafa Daneshjou, Neka, protest, Sanandaj, Shabnam Isakhani, Shahriar Khodapanah, Shargh daily, Sunni cleric

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 16th,2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).


(1) Negin Ghadamian, a Baha’i prisoner of conscience wrote an open letter about her social deprivation as a Baha’i citizen. She is a teacher at the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) who was arrested on December 16, 2017, at the airport as she and her husband Pouya were about to board a plane bound for Switzerland. Ghadamian was first arrested in 2011 after Intelligence Ministry agents raided the homes of staff and faculty members of the BIHE. In 2013, Ghadamian was summoned to the Revolutionary Court at Evin prison and was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “acting against national security through membership a the Baha’i deviant sect” and working with the “illegal” BIHE.

(2) More than 11 protests had been held in Iran. National Steel Company workers in Ahvaz continued their protest for the 37th day. Moreover, shareholders of the bankrupt Caspian Institution, Unemployed youth in Pariz, 400 of retired workers of long distance communication in Shiraz, 200 of Borujerd municipality employees and workers, the workers of Farabi Petrochemichal Company n Bandar-e Mahshahr, retired employees of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, relinquished parliament member of Isfahan, farmers in Isfahan, Urmia University students, participants of Iranian universities’ entrance exam (Konkour), and hawkers in Sanandaj

(3) A few detained Bahai citizens, Sunni clerics and activists were released on bail. Five Baha’i citizens, Monica Alizadeh, Shabnam Isakhani, Shahriar Khodapanah, Kambiz Misaghi, and Kheirollah Bakhshi, have been released on bail in Tabriz. Another two Baha’i prisoners, Elham Salmanzadeh and Parvan Manavi, were released on bail. Moreover, two Sunni clerics, Molavi Ayyub Ahmadi, and Molavi Hashem Jafarzadeh, were released on bail. Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, a detained teacher, was released on bail. He was arrested at the teacher’s strike in Bojnord. Finally, Asghar Firouzi, a former political activist, was released on bail on December 16, 2018. He was in prison before and after the Islamic Revolution.

(4) Shargh Daily and Cheshmandaz magazine were convicted. They were charged with “publishing articles deemed offensive to Islam”.

(5) Two converted Christians were arrested, beaten, and tortured by intelligence agents in Ahvaz.

(6) A 50 years old prisoner was executed at Mashhad Central Prison. He was accused of murdering his wife because of a family conflict in 2011.

(7) Two Baloch youth were killed while driving, by police. The cause of shooting is still unknown.

(8) Ali Madani, a civil activist, was summoned back to Evin to begin serving his sentence of three and half years’ jail time and 74 lashes.

(9) A detained labor activist, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh’s whereabouts is still unknown.

(10) Mostafa Daneshjou, lawyer of the detained Gonabadi Dervishes, was sentenced to eight years in prison. A Baha’i citizen, Yekta Fahandezh Saadi, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in the Shiraz Revolutionary Court.

(11) An accused individual in the city of Neka received an alternative sentencing to get a membership at a local library and have an active engagement in reading ethical and religious books.

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 10, 2018

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Adel-Abad Prison, Afghanistan, Afshin Ala, Arash Keykhosravi, ashafoyeh, Atena Daemi, Azarbaiejan, Baha'i, Child Abuse, Execution, Gharchak prison, Ghasem Sholeh Sa’adi, Haft Tappeh Sugarcane, Hamidreza Rahmati, Harsin, Hatam Ghaderi, Human Rights day, Ismael Bakhshi, Kerman, Khuzestan, Kurdestan, Mahabad, Majid Azizi, Mohammad Hashemi, Naghadeh, prisoner, Rasht, released, Saeed Madani, saved, Sepideh Gholian, Shushtar, State's Welfare Organization, tribal fight, Urmia, worker, workplace, Younes Azizi

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 10th,2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists NewsAgency (HRANA).

(1) Four Workers Were Injured or Died in Their Workplaces

(2) An Execution in Urmia

(3) Five Citizens Were Saved from Execution in Shushtar

(4) The Businesses of 17 Baha’i Citizens Were Shut Down

(5) The State’s Welfare Organization has requested to monitor Fashafoyeh prison.

(6) An activist in Adel Abad prison was deprived from getting pharmaceutical drug

(7) Political Prisoners in Ardabil Prison Went on Strike

(8) Child Maltreatments in Mahabad and Harsin

(9) Atena Daemi’s open letter on Human Rights Violations in Gharchak Prison

(10) More from Iran

                                                       

(1) Four Workers Were Injured or Died in Their Workplaces

Inthe last two days, four workers were injured or died in their workplaces in Iran. Two workers who were 35 and 40 years old and citizens of Afghanistan, were injured in a construction incident in Tehran. According to Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA), in Rasht, a 45 years old worker of a dairy company, died by electrical shock in the workplace. Moreover, Baloch activists campaign reported the death of a 35 years old construction worker in his workplace in Iranshahr.

(2) An Execution in Urmia

In the morning of December 10, 2018, a prisoner in Urmia prison was executed.Younes Azizi was transferred to a solitary confinement earlier. He was from Naqadeh a city in West Azerbaijan and was accused of drug crimes.

(3) Five Citizens Were Saved from Execution in Shushtar

Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported that five individuals who were arrested with a murder charge, finally were saved from execution in jail by the help of judicial authorities and victims’ families’ consent. They had spent the last 4 years waiting for the execution in prison. The murder took place in 2014 in a tribal fight. Four people died, and more than 40 people were injured in that incident in second district of Zouyie village which is in Shadravan district in Shushtar County in the Khuzestan province.

(4) The Businesses of 17 Baha’i Citizens Were Shut Down

The businesses of 17 Baha’i citizens were shut down in Kerman. Their appeal was rejected in the Administrative Justice court. They requested to cancel the minutes which was issued by the Governor General of Kerman. Due to the aforementioned minutes of limiting financial activities of Baha’i citizens,their businesses were shut down in 2016 because they closed their businesses temporarily for their religious rituals.

(5) The State’s Welfare Organization has requested to monitor Fashafoyeh prison.

Farid Baratisadeh, Deputy Director of Prevention state’s Welfare Organization has requested to monitor Fashafoyeh prison. He emphasized that although the supervising of the addicted facilities is included in the state’s Welfare Organization’s responsibility, but this organization never got the chance to supervise on Fashafoyeh prison.

(6) An activist in Adel Abad prison was deprived from getting pharmaceutical drug

Majid Azizi, a civil activist from Shiraz who is in Adel Abad prison was deprived from getting pharmaceutical drug by prison officials. His family are concerned about his health. On November 19, 2018 he was transferred to Adel Abad in Shiraz for his one-year imprisonment.

(7) Political Prisoners in Ardabil Prison Went on Strike

Political prisoners in Ardabil prison went on strike from December 9, 2018. They are protesting the transfer of an infected contagious prisoner to their prison without informing the other inmates, and the other limitations such as cutting off the phone in prison.

(8) Child Maltreatments in Mahabad and Harsin

The head of State Welfare Organization’s office of Harsin confirmed that a five-year-old girl who does not have any birth certificate and gathers garbage’s was transferred to the state Welfare office of this city. In another case in Mahabad, a six-year-old who had been abused by her mother and was hospitalized for her injuries, was transferred to the city’s State Welfare office. Mahabad and Harsin are in Azarbaijan and Kermanshah provinces.

(9) Atena Daemi’s open letter on Human Rights Violations in Gharchak Prison

Atena Daemi, an imprisoned activist wrote an open letter for international day of Human Right about human rights violations in Gharchak prison. She wrote about sanitary in this prison “there is not any spot clear from blood and vomit”. She also mentioned that the quality of water is low, there is no dental health, and prisoners’ hands and legs are swollen. Overall, there is a very limited access to the medical care and it would be humiliating and offensive.

(10) More from Iran

Ghasem Shole Sa’adi and Arash Keykhosravi, attorney at laws were sentenced to six years in prison by branch 15 of Islamic Revolutionary Court.

Hamidreza Rahmati,a teacher activist, has ended his sit-in by the Shahreza’s Ministry of Education office. He was protesting the arrest of the teachers during teachers’ strikes since December 1st, 2018.

The 21st day of detention of Ismael Bakhshi, laborer activist and Sepideh Gholian, civil activist.  They were arrested in course of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Business protests.

Arman Ghafouri, the resident of Marivan, was released on bail temporary on December 10, 2018. 

On Sunday, December 9th, the Human Right Committee of Lawyers, organized a conference for the international “Human Rights Day” which marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the subject of“celebrating the differences”. Mohammad Hashemi, Afshin Ala, Hatam Ghaderi and Saeed Madani were some of the lecturers of this conference.

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 5, 2018

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ahvaz, Ali Dabbi, Amir Salar Davoudi, Babol Noshiravani University of Technology, Baha'i, Baneh, Behazad Alibakhshi, Caspian Institution, Evin Prison, Execution, Farhad Meisami, Hadi Salimi, Haft Tapeh, Hamidreza Bolhasani, Hamzeh Darvish, Hunger Strike, hunger strike prisoner, intelligence forces, iran human rights, iran protests, Ismael Bakhshi, Khuzestan, Kordestan, Kulbar, Milad Azimi, Morteza Dabbi, political prisoners in Iran, Prisoner abuse, Rajai Shahr Prison, religious minorities in iran, Sunni prisoners, Sunny clergy

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 5th, 2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Continue reading “A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 5, 2018”

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Baha’i Citizen Dori Amri Begins One-year Prison Term

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Religious Minorities
Baha'i, baha'i in iran, baha'is in iran, baha'is of iran, Dori Amri, May Kholousi, Saghi Fadaei, Vakilabad prison

Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) On Wednesday, November 14, 2018, Baha’i Mashhad resident Dori Amri began serving her one-year prison sentence in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison.

May Kholousi and her daughter Saghi Fadaei, Amri’s Baha’i co-defendants, turned themselves in October 31st to begin serving their own one-year sentences.

The verdict in Amri, Kholousi, and Fadaei’s case was recently upheld in Khorasan Razavi Appeals Court.

Iran Update: Reports of Persecuted Baha’is October 24 – November 11

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Labor and Guilds, Religious Minorities
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Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) -Baha’i citizens of Iran have continued to face persecution this month, in the form of grave desecrations, business shutdowns, and interference by authorities in their places of employment. Meanwhile, one Baha’i prisoner has returned to prison after a furlough release.

Grave Desecration

Four days after her October 24th burial, the body of Shamsi Aghdasi Azamian, a Baha’i resident of Gilavand village near the city of Damavand, was found in the nearby rural outskirts of Jaban.

According to a close source, security forces called Azamian’s son that same day, informing him that her remains had been found and instructing him to rebury them in Tehran.

Security forces had previously forbidden Baha’i Gilavand residents from burying their dead locally, ordering instead that all deceased Baha’is be interred in the capital city, 50 miles west by mountain pass. Though Azamian’s son initially refused — citing Baha’i religious custom to lay believers to rest no more than one hour away from their place of death — the family ultimately complied under pressure from security forces.

Earlier this year, Iranian authorities issued a court order to lock down a Baha’i cemetery in the city of Kerman. Baha’is in Sanandaj, Ahvaz, Tabriz, and Sangesar have also been prevented from burying their loved ones in local cemeteries, and in the cases of Sangesar and Sanandaj, some Baha’i burial sites have been reported destroyed.

As of yet, no one has claimed responsibility for the desecration of Azamian’s grave.

Shutdown of Baha’i Businesses

Iranian Authorities have shut down the small businesses of five Baha’i Ahvaz residents and two Baha’i Abadan residents as of November 5th.

The businesses — which had been temporarily closed, in observance of Baha’i religious holidays — were court-ordered to remain sealed off to the public. Their owners were identified as Ahvaz residents Vargha Derakhsan, Behrouz Zohdi, Jahanbakhsh Afsharzadeh, Feizollah Ghanavatian, Sohrab Derakhsan, and brothers Arman Azadi and Aram Azadi of Abadan.

Having run their business for the past 38 years, the Azadi brothers had already experienced a forced shutdown on July 12, 2018. After a 14-day tug-of-war with security forces, the prosecutor’s office, and other municipal authorities, they managed to re-open their store on July 26th, only to be shut down again this month.

Despite trade union regulations protecting business owners from arbitrary closures, Baha’i citizens regularly face unexplained restrictions on their commercial activity. And while Iranian businesses are legally permitted to close up shop for a maximum of 15 days per year — for any reason — some have been forced to stay closed after briefly pausing their operations for Baha’i holidays.

On December 3, 2017, Rouhani aide Shahindokht Molaverdi said that Iranian authorities were looking into a legislative solution to this issue.

HRANA reported on the forced closure of 11 Baha’i-owned business in Ahvaz in July of this year, and previously published a story on the same trend in Abadan.

Baha’i Prisoner Back in Rajai Shahr After Furlough

Afshin Seyed Ahmad, a Baha’i political prisoner serving a three-year sentence for “acting against national security” and “propaganda against the regime,” returned to prison on November 11th after eight days of furlough.

This was Ahmad’s first furlough release since beginning his sentence June 28, 2016, in Evin Prison. He has since been transferred to Rajai Shahr.

Ahmad previously spent 20 days in solitary confinement after a November 2012 arrest.

Educational Institution Shut Down

Two educational institutions in the city of Shiraz have been shut down by court order for employing recently-arrested Baha’i citizens Nora Pourmoradian and Elaheh Samizadeh.

HRANA reported on Pourmoradian and Samizadeh’s release on October 10th after spending more than three weeks in custody. The two were working in the field of music education for children.

A close source backed speculation that the institution’s shutdown was prompted by Pourmoradian and Samizadeh’s employment there.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Baha’i citizens of Iran are systematically deprived of religious freedoms, while according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, all people are entitled to freedom of religion, belief, and changes thereof, as well as the right to express and practice those beliefs as individuals or collectives, in public or in private.

Though unofficial sources estimate the Baha’i population of Iran at more than 300,000, Iran’s Constitution officially recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and does not acknowledge the Baha’i faith as an official religion. As a result, the rights of Baha’is in Iran are systematically violated.

Furlough Granted to Bereaved Baha’i Prisoner Azita Rafizadeh

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Prisoners, Religious Minorities
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Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) – Authorities have granted a November 7th to November 10th furlough period to Baha’i prisoner Azita Rafizadeh, who will attend memorial services for her father, Seyed Yadollah Rafizadeh, who recently died in a car accident.

Azita Rafizadeh is serving a four-year sentence for her Baha’i affiliations, including the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education, as well as a charge of acting against national security.

The furlough request of her spouse Peyman Koushk-Baghi, who is currently serving a five-year sentence on the same charges, was denied.

Evin Prison Women’s Ward Denies Medical Care to Baha’i Negin Ghadamian

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Prisoners, Women
Baha'i, baha'i arrests iran, baha'i in iran, Evin Prison, medical neglect, negin ghadamian, Negin Ghademian, Prisoner abuse, Women's Ward of Evin Prison

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)- Despite the blessing of Prosecution Assistant Rostami, Baha’i prisoner Negin Ghadamian is being denied extra-prison dental care for a severe gum infection, jaw pain, and toothache.

Prison authorities, including clinic head Agha Khani, have opposed Ghadamian’s medical transfer, insisting her treatment take place inside the prison.

The swelling population of the Women’s Ward places prisoners in increased medical precarity, as authorities — apparently arbitrarily — have barred external medical transfers almost entirely. An informed source told HRANA that prison dentistry relies on limited equipment, delivers mediocre care, and sticks patients with steep fees.

HRANA published a report on September 30th detailing the living conditions in the Women’s Ward at Evin. “Evin Prison dentistry operates in less-than-sterile conditions and exposes patients to remarkably high risk for infections,” the report reads. “Cavity fillings are expensive there, putting patients out as much as 20 million rials (approximately $114 USD) or preventing them, for lack of means, from getting the fillings they need.”

Security agents first arrested Ghadamian on May 24, 2011, after which she went free on 50 million tomans [approximately $12,000 USD] bail. In March 2012, she was sentenced in absentia by Judge Moghiseh on charges of “acting against national security through membership in the illegal Baha’i organization.” She was arrested at the airport on December 17, 2017, to serve her sentence.

Update on Arrested Shirazi Baha’is

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Religious Minorities
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Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) – Baha’i citizen Bahareh Ghaderi, who was arrested September 15th, was released Saturday, November 3rd on a bail of 200 million tomans [approximately $13,500 USD] pending completion of her investigation.

On October 18th, Niloufar Hakimi and Ehsan Mahboob Rahvafa also went free on bail. Their fellow Baha’is Nora Pourmoradian, Soudabeh Haghighat, and Elaheh Samizadeh were released October 10th.

Two Baha’i prisoners remain in the custody of Shiraz Intelligence Ministry detention center No. 100.

Shiraz, the capital of Fars province located 425 miles south of Tehran, is the birthplace of Ba’b, who formulated the Baha’i religion there in the 19th century. It is home to one of the largest Baha’i communities in Iran.

Iranian Baha’i citizens are systematically deprived of religious freedoms, while according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone is entitled to freedom of religion and belief, and the right to adopt and manifest the religion of their choice, be it individually, in groups, in public, or in private.

Based on unofficial sources, more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran. Iran’s constitution, however, recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and does not acknowledge the Baha’i faith as an official religion. Consequently, the rights of Baha’is are systematically violated in Iran.