Spokesperson for Bahai World Community: Recent Wave of Arrests in Iran Is Concerning

The spokesperson for the Bahai World Community has described the extent of recent arrests of Bahais in Iran as “concerning” and the situation as “grave” in relation to reports of arrests and harassment of Bahais over the past months.

Farhand Sabetan, spokesperson for the Bahai World Community, told Voice of America that over the past three months alone, there has been a new wave of arrests accompanied by raids on Bahai homes and confiscation of their property. In the city of Isfahan, at least 10 Bahai women have been arrested and the homes of at least 14 other citizens have been searched. Seven Bahai citizens have also been arrested in Shiraz with their homes searched, and in Babol, one person named Manizhe Aazamian has been arrested.

He further stated that in Bandar Abbas at least 13 people and in Mashhad four Bahai citizens named Nika Pakzadan, Sanaz Ishaqqi, Nakissa Hajipour, and Naghmeh Zabihian have been arrested and transferred to prison. Of this number, five citizens from Bandar Abbas have currently been released on furlough.

Mr. Sabetan, pointing out that the extent of recent arrests in Iran is concerning, said: “All these Bahai citizens have been arrested solely because they are Bahai.” According to him, the charges against these citizens from the Islamic Republic’s perspective are stated as “membership in the deviant Bahai sect.”

The news service of the Bahai World Community also stated in its latest report, a copy of which was sent to Voice of America, that: “The recent wave appears to reflect the implementation of a broader program by the Iranian government to intensify persecution and oppression of this community, which is the largest non-Muslim religious minority in the country.”

In this report, referencing the seizure of lands and properties of Bahais in the village of Eivol and the prevention of Bahais in Tehran from burying their loved ones in a section of Beheshti Zahra cemetery that was previously allocated to them, it states that these events constitute a broad state campaign aimed at the systematic destruction of the Bahai community as a living and active society.

The spokesperson for the Bahai World Community, also noting that there may be periods when the number of arrests of Bahai citizens decreases, told Voice of America: “It is incorrect to assume that at any time Bahais are immune from government pressure, and this is what we are experiencing.” He also added, “The Islamic Republic attributes charges such as disturbing national security and espionage for other countries to Bahai citizens, yet to this day no documents or evidence acceptable in court have been presented.”

Mr. Sabetan said: “We are truly not asking for Bahais to be treated as a separate thread. But if they are arrested, the authorities of the Islamic Republic are obligated to provide legal documentation and conduct legal trials, and if they have committed no crime, they should stop harassing Iran’s Bahais to this extent.”

He also, referring to recent television programs by the Islamic Republic’s state media that are produced and distributed for the purpose of inciting hatred against Bahai citizens, said: “Recently a television program was broadcast again called Like the Moon, which is for inciting hatred against the Bahai community and Iranian Bahais, and this is part of a series of media campaigns against the Bahai community. In fact, the goal and motivation is a kind of creating discord between the Bahai community, Bahai citizens and Iranian compatriots, which unfortunately continues persistently.”

The U.S. State Department has repeatedly and in various instances condemned violent confrontations and widespread suppression of protesters, as well as repeated and continuous violations of the rights of Iranian citizens by the Islamic Republic.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom also expressed concern in early Ordibehesht of last year in its annual report regarding the state of religious and spiritual freedoms in Iran; in a section of this report, it stated that the Islamic Republic is increasingly targeting Muslim minorities, particularly Sunnis and Dervishes, as well as followers of other religions and sects, including Bahais and Christians.

Source: Voice of America