The continued arrest and uncertainty of Saeideh Khazoui, a Baha'i citizen in Tehran
HRANA News Agency – Today, Monday, May 12, Saeideh Khozoui, a Baha’i citizen living in Tehran, remains in detention and in limbo, despite the passage of 21 days since her arrest. Ms. Khozoui was arrested on April 12 after appearing at Evin District Court.
According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, today, Monday, May 12, 1401, Saeideh Khozoui, a Baha'i citizen living in Tehran, is still in detention and in limbo, despite the passage of 21 days since her arrest.
Despite repeated follow-ups by the family, there is still no information about Ms. Khazoui's whereabouts or the charges brought against her, and officials at the Evin Prosecutor's Office refuse to provide any information in this regard.
Arsalan Yazdani, the son of Ms. Khazoui, has published a post on his personal page announcing his mother's call yesterday. According to him, Ms. Khazoui was not allowed to explain her whereabouts.
Ms. Khozoui was arrested on April 12, 2019, after appearing at Evin Prosecutor's Office. This Baha'i citizen was summoned to Branch 2 of the Evin Prosecutor's Office in the early days of this year, and after appearing at this branch, she was asked to appear again on Saturday.
Saeideh Khozooi, the mother of Arsalan Yazdani, is a Baha’i citizen who was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 10, 2017, and transferred to a security detention center in Evin Prison. During her arrest, the security forces searched her home and confiscated a number of her personal belongings. She was eventually released on bail on October 15, 2017.
Saeideh Khazoui's home was searched by security forces on October 28, 2021, and a number of her personal belongings, including her laptop, cell phone, electronic devices, photos, and documents, were confiscated.
Baha'i citizens in Iran are deprived of freedoms related to religious beliefs. This systematic deprivation occurs despite the fact that, according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of religion and to change their religion with conviction, as well as the freedom to manifest it, either individually or in community with others and in public or in private.
According to unofficial sources, there are more than 300,000 Baha'i citizens in Iran, but the Iranian constitution only recognizes Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and does not recognize the Baha'i religion. For this reason, the rights of Baha'is in Iran have been systematically violated over the past years.
Source: HRANA
