Baha’i citizen Saeedeh Khozui is still jailed in the detention facility A1, which is at the disposal of the IRGC Intelligence. On April 11, 2022, she was arrested after an appearance at Branch 2 of Evin Courthouse.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Baha’i citizen Saeedeh Khozui has been in detention for 40 days under uncertain conditions.

On Thursday, May 19, in a phone call to her family, Khozui informed them that currently she is detained at an IRCGS detention facility A1. Khozui’s family had frequently inquired about her charges and whereabouts before, which was not responded to by the authorities.

Mrs Khozai suffers from migraine and the prison does not serve regular meals during the month of Ramadan, which makes her health conditions worse.

Saeedeh Khozui is the mother of Arsalan Yazdani who was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 1, 2021, and transferred to a detention center in Evin Prison. On September 30, 2021, security forces searched his house and confiscated some of Mr. Yazdani’s belongings including his laptop, other electronic devices and documents. Subsequently, Arsalan Yazdani was released on bail on October 17, 2021. 

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that 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.

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.