Six Bahai Citizens from Karaj Transferred to Evin Prison

Six Bahai citizens residing in Karaj were transferred to Evin Prison on Friday morning.

Bahai citizens have been deprived of freedoms related to their religious beliefs in Iran up to the present time, and this 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 state that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and to change their religion or belief, and the freedom to manifest these individually or collectively, in public or in private.

According to unofficial reports from Iran, more than three hundred thousand Bahai citizens reside in Iran, however Iran’s constitution only officially recognizes 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 for years. Not only Bahai rights, but Christians are also oppressed in Iran.

On Friday, December 8th (17th of Azar), six Bahai citizens named Babak Zeinali, Sahba Taef, Shervin Shirakh, Erin Rahmani, Foad Taaifi, and Reza Yazdi, who reside in Karaj, were transferred to Evin Prison. Despite more than one month having passed since their arrest, they remain in an indefinite status.

It should be noted that Babak Zeinali, Sahba Taef, Shervin Shirakh, Nika Esmaeilpour, Iman Ehsani, Erin Rahmani, Foad Taaifi, Ali-Baqer Kashi, Reza and Fahimeh Yazdi were arrested on November 7th at Babak Zeinali’s residence by security forces. After their arrest, authorities searched Mr. Zeinali’s home and confiscated some of his personal belongings including electronic devices, bank documents, and identification documents.

They were charged with “propaganda activities against the system,” “actions against national security,” and “membership in groups opposed to the system” by the public and revolutionary prosecutor’s office of Shahriar county.

It should be noted that among the aforementioned individuals, Mr. Taaifi suffers from thyroid disease and requires medication. His family took steps to provide him with necessary medications, but the case prosecutor objected to this.

Among those arrested, Nika Esmaeilpour, Fahimeh Yazdi, Iman Ehsani, and Ali Baqer Kashi were released on bail on December 5th.