Arrest of 14 Baha'i citizens in Qaemshahr
HRANA News Agency – Mahsa Fathi, Samieh Gholinejad, Negar Darabi, Basir Samimi, Hengameh Alipour, Afnaneh Nematian, Mujir Samimi, Mani Gholinejad, Nazanin Goli, Sam Samimi, Sanaz Hekmat Shoar, Bita Haghighi, Anis Sanaei and Golbon Fallah, fourteen Baha’i citizens living in the cities of Sari and Qaemshahr, were arrested by security forces in Qaemshahr on Wednesday, September 29, and transferred to the Sari Intelligence Department. The homes of three of these citizens have been searched by security forces.
According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, on Wednesday, September 29, 1402, fourteen Baha'i citizens living in the cities of Sari and Qaemshahr were arrested by security forces.
The identities of these citizens, Mahsa Fathi, Samiyeh Gholinejad, Negar Darabi, Basir Samimi, and Hengameh Alipour, residents of Sari, and Afnaneh Nematian, Mujir Samimi, Mani Gholinejad, Nazanin Goli, Sam Samimi, Sanaz Hekmat Shoar, Bita Haghighi, Anis Sanaei, and Golbon Fallah, residents of Qaemshahr, have been verified by HRANA.
A source informed about the arrest of these citizens told HRANA: “All of these citizens except Sanaz Hekmat Shaar and Golbon Fallah were arrested at 4:00 PM at the house of Mujir Samimi. Then, the security forces first searched the house of Bita Haghighi and from there they went to the houses of Ms. Hekmat Shaar and Ms. Fallah, respectively. While searching the house, the officers also arrested these two Baha’i citizens.”
These Baha'i citizens were transferred to the Sari Intelligence Department after their arrest.
As of the time of writing this report, there is no information available about the charges brought against these citizens.
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.
Source: HRANA
