Five Baha'i citizens arrested in Shiraz
HRANA News Agency – Today, Tuesday, July 19, Niloufar Hosseini, Bahiyeh Manavipour, Misagh Manavipour, Elhan Hashemi, and Hanan Hashemi, Baha’i citizens living in Shiraz, were arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location. During the arrest, the officers searched the homes of these citizens.
According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, today, Tuesday, July 18, 2022, three Baha'i citizens were arrested by security forces in Shiraz.
The identities of these citizens, Niloufar Hosseini, Bahiyeh Manavipour, Misagh Manavipour, Elhan Hashemi, and Hanan Hashemi, have been verified by HRANA.
A source informed about the arrest of these citizens told HRANA: "At the same time as these citizens were arrested, Misagh Manavipour's sister was also summoned to the judicial authorities. In addition, the officers searched their homes during the arrest."
As of the time of writing this report, there is no information available about the reasons for the arrest and where these citizens are being held.
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'is 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.
Hanan Hashemi, 22, Elhan Hashemi, 18, Bahiyeh Manavipour, 32, and Misagh Manavipour, 23, all of the #Baha'is of Shiraz were arrested and taken to an unknown location.
