Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) – On Saturday, August 11, 2018, Baha’i citizen and Tehran native Mehrdad Heyrani, after three months of detention by Intelligence agents, was temporarily released on a bail of approximately $110,000 USD (1.2 billion rials), and awaits trial.
An informed source had previously told HRANA: “On Friday, May 11, 2018, Intelligence agents went to apprehend [Heyrani] in his home, but failed to do so since he was not there. After learning that he was at a friend’s house in Baghestan, Karaj (just west of Tehran), they travelled there, arrested him, escorted him back to his home, and transferred him to an unknown location after searching his residence and confiscating his personal belongings, such as his computer and religious books.”
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. However, Iran’s Constitution only recognizes 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.
