HRANA, Human Rights Activists news agency–On May 1, 2023, three Baha’i citizens, Ataollah Zafar, Shadi Shahidzadeh, and Mansour Amini, were separately arrested and taken to undisclosed locations.
According to an informed source, this morning, May 1, three intelligence agents raided Zafar’s house and arrested him. During the raid, the agents searched his house and confiscated some of his belongings.
Zafar, who is 78 years old, had previously served a one-year sentence starting in August 2022. He was released on bail on October 29, 2022, and his case was closed in March 2023 when he received a pardon.
Shahidzadeh was also arrested at her house in Tehran on the same day. In the days leading up to her arrest, she had been summoned by judicial authorities via SMS following her frequent inquiries about obtaining a burial permit for her grandmother.
Amini was arrested in his residence, and agents searched his house during the arrest.
According to HRANA annual report, from the total human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is. The Baha’i community in Iran has been subjected to various forms of discrimination and persecution for decades. The Iranian government has imposed severe restrictions on Baha’is’ religious practices, education, employment, and civil rights.
