Saeida Khazuei, Bahai Citizen Detained
Hrana News Agency – Saeida Khazuei, a Bahai citizen residing in Tehran, was detained after appearing at Branch 2 of the Investigative Division of Evin Courthouse.
According to Hrana News Agency, the news organ of the Human Rights Activists in Iran collective, on Monday, April 11, 2022, Saeida Khazuei, a Bahai citizen residing in Tehran, was detained after appearing at Evin Courthouse.
Ms. Khazuei was summoned to Branch 2 of the Investigative Division of Evin Courthouse in the early days of the current year through a summons, and after reporting to this branch, she was asked to appear again at this branch today.
Saeida Khazuei is the mother of Arslan Yazdani, a Bahai citizen who was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 1, 2021, and transferred to one of the security detention facilities in Evin Prison. During the arrest of this citizen, security forces conducted a home search and seized a number of his personal belongings. He was ultimately released on October 16, 2021, after posting bail.
Saeida Khazuei’s home was inspected by security forces on September 29, 2021, and a number of their personal belongings, including a laptop, mobile phone, electronic devices, photos, and documents, were seized.
Bahai citizens in Iran are deprived of freedoms related to religious beliefs. This systematic deprivation occurs despite Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee everyone the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to change religion and the freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief, individually or in association with others, in public or in private.
Based on unofficial sources in Iran, there are over 300,000 Bahai citizens, yet Iran’s Constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and does not recognize the Bahai faith. For this reason, the rights of Bahais in Iran have been systematically violated over the past years.
Source: Hrana
