Statistical Report on Violations of Baha’i Rights Over the Past Five Years

HRANA– This report presents a statistical and analytical review of actions taken by security and judicial authorities against the Baha’i community in Iran. It is based on the collection, analysis, and documentation of 636 reports published by HRANA over the past five years (August 2020 to August 2025) regarding violations of the rights of Baha’i citizens.

Over this five-year period, HRANA’s Statistics Department has documented at least 284 arrests of Baha’i citizens, along with 270 summonses to security and judicial bodies. There have also been 419 home searches, 57 incidents of preventing economic activity, 3 cases of cemetery destruction, 27 confiscations of homes and properties, 1 case of refusal to hand over a body, 4 cases of preventing burials, 108 instances of prison sentence enforcement, 127 travel bans, 9 physical assaults, 106 denials of access to education, 147 trials, and 19 interrogations in security or judicial institutions.

In total, 388 Baha’i citizens were sentenced to 17,948 months of imprisonment (equivalent to 1,495 years and 8 months). This includes 17,324 months of enforceable (ta’zir) prison terms and 624 months of suspended sentences. Of this total, appellate courts issued 6,012 months of prison terms. Additionally, 91 individuals were fined a combined 503,510 million tomans, and 103 were sentenced to deprivation of social rights. Twenty-five people were also sentenced to a combined 600 months of exile.

The data show that the third year of this period saw the highest number of reports (162), while the fourth year recorded the most arrests (76) and the longest cumulative prison sentences (5,220 months). These figures point to a continuation—and in some cases, intensification—of judicial actions against Baha’i citizens in the later years of the reporting period.

The table below illustrates changes in the number of reports, arrests, and total prison sentences issued between August 2020 and August 2025.

Annual Statistics of Reports, Arrests, and Prison Sentences of Baha’is (2020–2025)
Reporting YearNumber of ReportsArrestsTotal Prison Terms (months)
First Year (Aug 2020 – Aug 2021)90283361
Second Year (Aug 2021 – Aug 2022)104461588
Third Year (Aug 2022 – Aug 2023)162743687
Fourth Year (Aug 2023 – Aug 2024)161765220
Fifth Year (Aug 2024 – Aug 2025)119604092

 

Annual Number of Recorded Reports (Aug 2020 – Aug 2025)

Annual Number of Arrests of Baha’i Citizens (2020–2025)

Analysis of the five-year data shows that violations of Baha’i citizens’ rights have been recorded across a wide geographic range in Iran. Tehran Province tops the list with 117 reports, followed by Fars (78), Mazandaran (70), Isfahan (63), and Alborz (56).

Khorasan Razavi, Kerman, Yazd, and Gilan provinces also rank high, reflecting a notable concentration of security and judicial actions against the Baha’i community in these regions. At the same time, documented violations extend to provinces with smaller populations or limited media coverage—such as Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Ardabil, Qom, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari—underscoring the nationwide scope of the repression.

Volume of Reported Violations of Baha’i Rights by Province

Some of the human rights violations described in this report are of a nature specifically tied to the Baha’i community in Iran. These include deprivation of economic and educational opportunities, obstruction in burial and funeral arrangements, destruction of cemeteries, confiscation of property, and structural discrimination based on religious belief. Such cases are specific to Baha’is and rarely appear in broader, general reports, underscoring the need for dedicated and specialized reporting on violations targeting this community.

Among the Baha’i citizens currently imprisoned are:
Farkhandeh Rezvan Pey, Nasrin Khademi Ghaqarakhi, Roya Azadkhosh, Sara Shakib, Boshra Motahar, Mojgan Pourshafe Ardestani, Maryam Khorsandi, Shurangiz Bahamin, Sanaz Rasteh, Firoozeh Rastinejad, and Azita Rezvani Khah (in Dolatabad Prison, Isfahan);
Behnam Momtazi (in Choobindar Prison, Qazvin);
Anisa Fanaeian (in Semnan Prison), Sepehr Ziaei (in Evin Prison);
Golnoosh Nasiri, Farideh Moradi (in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad);
Arshia Rouhani, Arash Nabavi, Hamid Monzavi (in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan);
Houshider Zarei (in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz);
and Paridokht Shojaei (in Kerman Prison).

Among Baha’i citizens who have faced judicial verdicts during the five-year period, some have been sentenced to heavy and long-term prison terms, in some cases exceeding 10 years. These verdicts have often been issued without observing fair trial standards and on charges such as “propaganda against the regime” or “forming illegal groups.” Such heavy sentences reflect the severity of judicial measures against the peaceful religious activities of Baha’i citizens and the continuation of a systematic policy of repression targeting this community.

Notable individuals facing heavy prison sentences include:

● Ne’matollah Shadpour, Nima Shadpour, and Shafigh Eslami, collectively sentenced to 51 years in prison;
● Shahdokht Khanjani, a Baha’i citizen from Semnan, sentenced to 16 years in prison;
● Sanaz Tafazoli, sentenced to 10 years and 9 months in prison
● Enayatollah Naeimi, sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison, and
● Vesal Momtazi and Anisa Samieian, a Baha’i couple, collectively sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison.

Judicial Officials with the Highest Number of Verdicts Against Baha’is in the Past Five Years
Monetary Fine (million
tomans)
Prison Term (months)Number of Sentences IssuedCourt BranchJudge NamePicture
542199641Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary CourtSeyed Mahmoud Sadati
50144732Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of AppealsAbbas‑Ali Houzan
1,800222028Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary CourtMohammad Reza Tavakoli
5105626Branch 37 of the Fars Province Court of AppealsSaeed Bolandzadeh
5607214Branch 9 of the Mazandaran Court of AppealsElias Shakeri
52513Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary CourtMohammad Reza Amouzad
70512Branch 1 of the Mashhad Revolutionary CourtSeyed Hadi Mansouri
82811Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary CourtIman Afshari
4083329Branch 3 of the Rasht Revolutionary CourtMehdi Rasekhi
1959Branch 4 of the South Khorasan Court of AppealsEbrahim Ramazani

Baha’is in Kerman: Paridokht Shojaei Summoned to Serve Prison Sentence, Four Others Acquitted

Paridokht Shojaei Baghini, a Baha’i citizen from Kerman, has been summoned to the Kerman Prison Enforcement Branch to serve her two-year and one-month prison sentence. Meanwhile, four other Baha’i citizens—Foad Shaker Arkani, Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah, and Behnam Pour-Ahmari—who were tried alongside her, have been acquitted by the Court of Appeals.

According to information received by HRANA, Ms. Shojaei was contacted via phone and instructed to report to the prison authorities to begin serving her sentence. A Baha’i resident of Kerman, familiar with the case, confirmed the news, stating: “Yekta Fallah, Foad Shaker Arkani, Behnam Pour-Ahmari, and Shahram Fallah were acquitted during the appeals process. Only Ms. Shojaei was sentenced to imprisonment and social restrictions, and she has been repeatedly summoned in recent days to begin serving her time.”

The five Baha’i citizens were initially arrested in July 2023 at the residence of Shahram Fallah. During the arrest, security officers searched Mr. Fallah’s home and the vehicles of his guests, confiscating personal items, including their mobile phones. Foad Shaker Arkani and Behnam Pour-Ahmari were released later that month, while Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah, and Paridokht Shojaei were released on bail in early August.

The first court hearing in their case took place on February 3, 2024, followed by a second hearing in early April 2024, where the defendants were sentenced to fines and social restrictions. However, in an unclear legal process, the court’s ruling against Ms. Shojaei was overturned, and she was subsequently informed in absentia of her revised sentence: two years and one month in prison, along with a five-year ban on social rights. This sentence was later upheld by the Court of Appeals after she filed an appeal.

Five Baha’i Citizens in Kerman Face Social Deprivations and Fines Following Court Ruling

The Revolutionary Court in Kerman has issued sentences involving social deprivations and fines against five Baha’i individuals: Yekta Fallah, Foad Shaker Arkani, Behnam Pour-Ahmadi, Shahram Fallah, and Paridokht Shojaei Baghini.

A source close to one of the affected families confirmed the court’s decision, stating: “Foad Shaker Arkani, Behnam Pour-Ahmadi, Shahram Fallah, and Paridokht Shojaei were cleared of charges related to ‘propaganda against the regime.’ However, they received sentences of suspended social deprivations for five years. Yekta Fallah was specifically sentenced to one year of social deprivation and fined 50 million tomans as an alternative to a prison term of two years and one month.

These individuals were initially detained in July 2023 during a raid at Shahram Fallah’s home. Security forces searched the premises and their vehicles, confiscating various personal items. The detainees were subsequently released on bail within two months.

Baha’is are subjected to violations of their religious rights, comprising 82% of reports on infringements against religious minorities, according to HRA’s 2023 annual report.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both 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.

Five Baha’i Citizens Arrested in Kerman

On July 12, 2023, in a concerning development, security forces in Kerman apprehended and detained five Baha’i citizens.

The detainees, identified as Foad Shaker, Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah, Behnam Pour-Ahmadi, and Paridokht Shojaei, were subsequently transferred to an undisclosed location. During the arrest, agents conducted a search of the house and their vehicles and seized some of their personal belongings.

The exact reasons behind the arrests and the specific location of their detention remain unknown, deepening concerns about potential human rights violations. One reliable source, who spoke to HRANA revealed that these individuals were apprehended at the residence of Shahram Fallah, where they were guests.

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian Constitution recognizes only Islam as the official religion, in addition to Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Bahai faith is not considered legitimate by the authorities, and the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

The deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach 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.