Sentences of 20 Years Upheld for Two Baha’i Women

The Tehran Court of Appeal has maintained the original rulings against Baha’i citizens, Mahvash Sabet (Shahriari) and Fariba Kamalabadi, confirming their 20-year prison terms. Initially, both women were sentenced to ten years, along with additional penalties by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “forming and leading groups to act against national security.”

A source close to Sabet’s family revealed to HRANA that Sabet, aged 70, is battling multiple illnesses that have been aggravated by her prolonged imprisonment. Over the past few months, she has faced several hospitalizations.

These individuals were formerly associated with a dissolved Baha’i group referred to as the “Yaran e Iran” or “Friends of Iran.” Their arrests occurred on July 31, 2022, alongside five other Baha’i individuals, apprehended by security forces across different cities. Moreover, intelligence agents conducted searches at a minimum of 37 Baha’i residences.

Following these apprehensions, the Ministry of Intelligence released a video portraying these individuals as spies, alleging their involvement in infiltrating kindergartens to propagate their beliefs and advocating for the removal of hijab. In response, Simin Fahandej, the spokesperson of the Bahá’í International Community, emphasized: “Iranians of goodwill, who number in their millions, see through these lies. The incident at the kindergarten is the latest in a shameful litany of brazen deception, propaganda, and hate speech, but these efforts do not go unnoticed by the international community and only work against Iran’s interests, showing its true motives of persecuting innocent people only for their beliefs.”

Baha’is Citizen Enayatollah Naeimi Arrested

Last Wednesday, September 28, security forces arrested Baha’is citizen Enayatollah Naeimi in Isfahan. The agents searched his house, workplace and garden in the Isfahan suburbs. Naeimi was a member of a now-disbanded Baha’i group known as the “Yaran e Iran” or “Friends of Iran,” which addressed the spiritual and social needs of the Baha’i community.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on September 28, 2022, the intelligence agents arrested Baha’is citizen Enayatollah Naeimi in Isfahan.

An informed source told HRANA that Naeimi underwent surgery last year and is now in poor health condition, making him hard to endure jail.

On July 31, 2022, three other members of the “Yaran e Iran” Afif Naeimi, Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamal Abadi were arrested.

Saeid Rezai Faces Health Problems in Rajai Shahr Prison

HRANA News Agency – Saeid Rezai, one of the seven former directors of Baha’i community of Iran, imprisoned in Rajai Shahr prison, in Karaj, is on the eve of the tenth year of imprisonment without leave. Despite approval by the specialist doctor in prison and the forensic doctor to have an arthroscopy and necessary period of rehabilitation after surgery, judicial officials are refusing his medical leave.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Saeed Rezai has faced knee meniscus multifaceted and widespread tear since a few months ago because of severe trauma in the left leg. Despite approval by the specialist doctor in prison and the forensic doctor to have an emergency arthroscopy and necessary period of rehabilitation and physiotherapy after the surgery, his medical leave is being refused. Continue reading “Saeid Rezai Faces Health Problems in Rajai Shahr Prison”

A Comprehensive Report on the Situation of 9 Imprisoned Bahais in Iran

HRANA News Agency – Fariba Kamal Abadi, Jamal-Aldin Khanjani, Mahvash Sabet, Afif Naimi, Saeed Rezai, Behrouz Tavakoli and Vahid Tizfah, are the seven administrative members of the Baha’i Community known as “Yaran-e Iran”, who along with Adel Naimi and Farhad Fahandezh have each been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. This 9 Baha’i citizens are currently serving their long sentences at Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj and Evin Prison.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), “Yaran-e Iran” is the name of the group that were directing the administrative activities of the Baha’i Community in Iran.  This group was the replacement for the “National Spiritual Assembly of Iran” which was the administrative system and organizational structure of the Baha’is. This assembly was shut down by the Iranian Regime. Fariba Kamal Abadi, Jamal-Aldin Khanjani, Mahvash Sabet, Afif Naimi, Saeed Rezai, Behrouz Tavakoli and Vahid Tizfah, the seven directors of the Baha’i community, along with Adel Naimi and Farhad Fahandezh are 9 Baha’I Citizens who are currently serving their long 10 years imprisonment sentences at Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj and Evin Prison. Continue reading “A Comprehensive Report on the Situation of 9 Imprisoned Bahais in Iran”

More Than Fifty Baha’i Citizens Imprisoned in Iran

HRANA News Agency – While in various international gatherings and interviews conducted with foreign media, Iranian government officials continue to claim that no one is imprisoned in Iran because of their beliefs, according to official statistics, there are more than 50 Baha’i citizens either temporarily detained or serving prison terms in various cities throughout Iran.Additionally, there is at least the same number of Baha’i citizens waiting to be tried or sentenced in different cities all over the country.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), in various cities including Tehran, Karaj, Esfahan, Shiraz, Semnan, Mashhad, Urmia, Tabriz, Pars Abad, Ghaem Shahr, Babol, Sari, Kerman, Rafsanjan, Sanandaj, Yasuj and Kermanshah, there are a large number of Baha’i citizens who are in a legal state of limbo with their future uncertain.

All of these Baha’i citizens have been arrested, charged or convicted of propaganda against the regime by the virtue of their Baha’i faith or acting against the national security through attending religious Baha’i gatherings, membership in Baha’i organizations, managing Baha’i communities in cities or the whole country, or defending the rights of Baha’i citizens in Iran.

Baha’i citizens who are imprisoned in Iran’s official prisons or the detention centers operated by the Intelligence Agency include:

Evin Prison – Women’s Ward

1. Mahvash Sabet – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
2. Fariba Kamalabadi – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
3. Manijeh Nasrollahi – Sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison (Transferred from Semnan Prison)
4. Sahba Rezvani – Sentenced to 3 years and 1 months in prison (Transferred from Semnan Prison)
5. Susan Tabyaniyan – Sentenced to 1 ½ years in prison (Transferred from Semnan Prison)
6. Sholeh Taief – Sentenced to 1 year in prison (Transferred from Semnan Prison)

Evin Prison – Ward 350

7. Sama Norani – Sentenced to 1 year in prison
8. Payman Kashfi – Sentenced to 4 years in prisonArtin Ghazanfari – Sentenced to 1 year in prison

Evin Prison – Temporarily Detention / Interrogation

9. Kiumars Bahin-A’in – Transferred from Esfahan Prison
10. Shamim Bahin-A’in – Transferred from Esfahan Prison
11. Sina Ravankard – Transferred from Yasuj Prison
12. Parvaneh Behamin – Transferred from Yasuj Prison (A resident of Kata Village)
13. Behruz Behamin – Transferred from Shiraz Prison
14. Malieh Roozbehe (Roozkhosh) – Transferred from Shahravazlar in Fars Province
15. Behnoosh Dadgar – Transferred from Esfahan Prison
16. Kamran Mortezaie – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
17. Vahid Mahmoudi – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
18. Ramin Zibei – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
19. Noshin Khadem – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
20. Mahmoud Badavam – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
21. Farhad Sadaghi – Imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University
22. Riyaz Sabhani – Probably imprisoned in relation to Baha’i Provisional University

Rajai Shahr Prison – Karaj

23. Jamal Aldin Khanjani – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
24. Afif Naimi – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
25. Behrooz Tavakoli – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
26. Saied Rezaie – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)
27. Vahid Tizfahm – Sentenced to 20 years in prison (Previous member of Iranian Baha’i Governing Council)

Mashhad

28. Sima Eshraghi – Sentenced to 5 years in prison
29. Rezita Vaseghi – Sentenced to 5 years in prison (New case open)
30. Nahid Ghadiry – Sentenced to 5 years in prison (New case open)
31. Davar Nabilzadeh – Sentenced to 5 years in prison
32. Jalayer Vahdat – Sentenced to 5 years in prison
33. Kavyz Nozdehi – Sentenced to 2 years in prison
34. Sima Rajabiyan – Sentenced to 2 years in prison
35. Nasrin Ghadiri – Sentenced to 2 years in prison
36. Homman Bakhtavar – Sentenced to 2 years in prison
37. Dari Amri – Held in Mashhad Intelligence Agency Detention Center
38. Farhod Eshtiagh – Held in Mashhad Intelligence Agency Detention Center (Transferred from Esfahan Prison)

Semnan

39. Behfar Khanjani – Sentenced to 4 years in prison
40. Siamak Ayghani – Sentenced to 3 years in prison
41. Ali Ehsani – Sentenced to 2 years in prison

Khash

42. Mehran Bandi – Sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison (Transferred from Yazd Prison)

Sari

43. Tareh Taghizadeh – Sentenced to 22 months in prison
44. Samira Samiei – Sentenced to 6 months in prison

Amol

45. Houshang Fanaian – Sentenced to 4 years in prison

Shiraz

46. Raha Sabet – Sentenced to 4 years in prison

Esfahan

47. Vahid Misaghian – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
48. Shahnaz Talehi – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
49. Kayvan Dehghani – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
50. Navid Parvini – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
51. Negar Sobhanian – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency
52. Farshid Badakhsh – In temporary custody by Intelligence Agency

Yasuj

53. Ali Bakhesh Bazr Afkan – Sentenced to 2 years and six months in prison

 

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