Simultaneous Arrest of Three Bahai Women in Shiraz by Security Authorities
Human rights websites have reported the arrest of three Bahai citizens in Shiraz.
According to reports, Zhila Sharafi Nasrabad, Shaqayeq Khanehzarin, and Negar Eqani were arrested on Sunday, the 5th of Tir, by security forces at their father’s residence.
No information has been released regarding the reason for their arrest or their place of detention.
During the arrest, security forces conducted a search of the residence and confiscated some of their personal belongings, including mobile phones and laptops.
According to the Hrana website, 22-year-old Negar Eqani is one of the Bahais who was barred from entering university in the 1398 national university entrance exam.
Hrana also reported, citing an informed source, that Shaqayeq Khanehzarin is 20 years old and “her father suffered a heart attack due to lack of information about his daughter’s condition and stress from her arrest, and is currently hospitalized in a hospital in Shiraz.”
These arrests occur just two weeks after another Bahai resident of Shiraz was sentenced to a total of 85 years in prison by the city’s Revolutionary Court.
Three days earlier, it was reported that six Bahai citizens residing in Bushehr were summoned to serve their prison sentences.
The charges against these individuals are stated as “gathering and conspiracy with intent to commit crimes against national security” and “aiding in propaganda against the system and measures against national security,” while the international Bahai community has repeatedly called such charges “baseless” and stressed that Bahais in Iran are arrested and imprisoned solely because of their religious beliefs and activities.
The Islamic Republic of Iran does not recognize the Bahai faith in its laws, and Bahais have faced security pressures, arrests, and widespread discrimination for decades. Deprivation from university education, destruction of their cemeteries, prohibition of employment in government centers, and closure of some businesses are among the pressures Bahais endure in Iran.
The United Nations and human rights advocates have repeatedly criticized “discrimination” against Bahais in Iran and have called on the Islamic Republic authorities to abide by their international commitments regarding freedom of thought and religion.
Source: Voice of America
