After more than a month, Saba Sefidi, a Baha'i citizen, continues to be detained
Saba Sefidi, a Baha’i citizen living in Tehran, remains in detention and in limbo 33 days after her arrest. Ms. Sefidi was arrested on January 11 after appearing at Branch 2 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office for questioning.
According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, today, Sunday, February 14, 2021, Saba Sefidi, a Baha'i citizen living in Tehran, is still in detention and in limbo, more than a month after her arrest.
Despite repeated follow-ups by Ms. Sefidi's family, no information has been received regarding the reasons for her arrest, her condition, and her whereabouts. The failure to provide a clear answer from the judicial authorities of Branch 2 of the Evin Prosecutor's Office and security agencies has increased the concern of the family of this Baha'i citizen.
Ms. Sefidi, who was arrested on January 11 after appearing at Branch 2 of the Evin Prosecutor's Office for questioning, has only had a few brief contacts with her family since her arrest.
Earlier, Skylar Thompson, external relations officer for the Human Rights Activists in Iran, said in relation to this news: "This organization strongly condemns discriminatory practices against religious minorities in Iran. We call on Iran to take concrete steps to ensure that Iranians, especially Baha'i citizens, can enjoy religious freedoms, including the free exercise of their religious beliefs."
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
