Increased Pressure on Bahá’ís in Qaemshahr and Yazd

According to Hrana news agency, the news organ of the Human Rights Activists in Iran group, the business premises of six Bahá’í citizens in Qaemshahr were sealed on Monday, November 8, 2021 by officials from the Department of Public Places. This action followed a two-day religious closure by the Bahá’ís.

The names of citizens whose business premises were sealed are as follows: Nima Novakhah, a toy and children’s game distribution business unit; Nabet Asadi, an eyeglass repair business unit; Soheil Babaei, a hygiene supplies business unit; Kourosh Rezaei, a refrigerator and air conditioner repair business unit; Maziars Abbasi, a paint and building materials business unit; Mr. Akbari, a welding and ironwork business unit.

In 2015, the business premises of a number of Bahá’í citizens in Mazandaran province, including Bahá’ís from Qaemshahr, were sealed upon the orders of the Department of Public Places. It is said that despite six years passing, some of these business premises have remained closed.

Prison Sentence for Four Bahá’í Citizens

Hrana news agency had previously reported that Branch 11 of the Yazd Province Appellate Court issued an eight-month prison sentence for Amin Zulfaqari, Mahboubeh Meisaqiyan, Mitra Bandi Amirabadi, and Hiva Yazdan Mehdiabadi on the charge of “propaganda against the system.”

Hrana wrote that these citizens were sentenced in the first instance by Branch Two of the Yazd Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Reza Javad Mousavi, to a total of 13 years and four months in prison on the charges of “membership in anti-system groups and propaganda against the system.” In the appellate stage, these individuals were acquitted of the charge of membership in anti-system groups.

Amin Zulfaqari was arrested on June 21, 2020 by Yazd Intelligence Department officers and transferred to the city’s prison. He was temporarily released from Yazd Prison on July 23 of the same year by posting bail bond until the end of legal proceedings.

Ms. Meisaqiyan was arrested on June 12, 2020 by security forces and was released on June 27 of the same year by posting bail bond.

Mitra Bandi Amirabadi and Hiva Yazdan Mehdiabadi were also arrested on June 10, 2020 by security forces and were ultimately released from the Yazd Intelligence Department detention center on September 2 of the same year, after three months of temporary detention, by posting bail bond until the end of legal proceedings. These Bahá’í citizens had previously also been arrested and convicted.

Hiva Yezdani Mehdiabadi (Baheefar) was arrested in December 2017 by security forces for “teaching music to children” and transferred to Yazd Prison. She was released from prison on December 24 of the same year by posting bail bond.

According to Hrana, an informed source regarding the previous sentence of these citizens explained to the human rights news agency: “Ms. Bandi Amirabadi and Ms. Yazdan Mehdiabadi were previously arrested together and ultimately were sentenced to suspended imprisonment by the court. The period of this conviction also ended some time ago.”