Kamran Rahimiyan and Faran Hesami (کامران رحیمیان و فاران حسامی), a Bahai couple who are among those arrested during the crackdown on the Bahai Open University (BIHE), have both been sentenced to four years in prison. They were charged with “membership of the Bahai community, and “meeting and colluding to disturb national security.” They were arrested on September 13, 2011, and held in Evin Prison in Tehran. Faran Hesami was freed on bail in late November; her husband was held in Evin prison in Tehran, but was transfered to Rajai Shahr prison, in Karaj, after the couple’s trial on December 14 and 15.

Source (in Persian)

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The review court has confirmed the sentence of 5 years in prison imposed on Iqan Shahidi (ایقان شهیدی), a Bahai student of Kermanshah who has been excluded from education. He was arrested on March 2, 2010, along with Navid Khanjani and Sama Nourani (نوید خانجانی و سما نورانی), and held in Evin prison. During his detention he was under physical and psychological pressure to make a televised confession. He was released on bail of 50 million tuman (about 350 euros) on May 11. He is charged with “membership of the illegal Association for the Right to Education,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “membership of the Bahai community.”

Source (in Persian)

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Sadaf Thabetayan ( صدف ثابتیان ), one of the Bahais arrested in the raids targetting the Bahai Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), has been sentenced in Tehran to two years in prison. She is from Sari, and was arrested there, along with two other Bahais, but was moved to Tehran. After being interrogated there, she was released on bail, in June 2011. The hearing to determine her sentence was held on January 8.

Source (in Persian)

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The Minister of Human Rights and Social Development in Bahrain, Fatima al-Balushi (فاطمة البلوشي) has decided to register the Bahai Social Association (الجمعية البهائية الاجتماعية) in the register of community foundations, and social and cultural associations. The Association of Bahais was founded by 12 Bahais. The rules provide that the Association may not engage in politics or in financial speculation, and may not be affiliated with any association based outside the Kingdom of Bahrain, without prior permission from the Ministry of Social Development. The association’s purposes are to contribute to the development of human resources for community service; to promote a culture of service to humanity; active participation in societal dialogue on the development of a united and fraternal society, in coordination with the competent government agencies; the education and training of children, with the approval of the competent authorities; communication, coordination and participation in service projects with agencies concerned with children and youth within Bahrain and abroad, in coordination with the relevant government agencies.

It intends to organise training sessions, workshops and seminars, and conferences aimed at enhancing skills and capabilities, with an emphasis on programmes for children and youth; to implement volunteer activities in social services, to invite specialists from inside and outside Bahrain to participate in the process of learning and training; to create a web site to identify the community association and its activities and objectives; and to cooperate with official institutions and NGOs in relation to its objectives; to participate in events organized by the local authorities or civil society, which are not inconsistent with the objectives of the Association.

Source (in Arabic)

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Elham Ruzbehi (الهام روزبهی), a Bahai from Semnan, has been sentenced to 3 years in prison. She was arrested, with several other Bahais, on March 12, 2011, following a search of her home and the seizure of some of her personal effects. She was pregnant at the time. She was later released on bail, but on November 1, the Persian-language Bahai News Service reported that she had been summoned to the local office of the Ministry of Intelligence, along with two other Bahai residents of Semnan, and interrogated for two hours before being released. The present verdict is based on that interrogation. She is the sister in law of Mr. Behnam Mut’arefi (بهنام متعارفی), who has been in prison since July, 2010.

Five other Bahais are presently serving prison sentenced in Semnan, and one Bahai from Semnan is in prison in Evin Prison, in Tehran.

Source (in Persian)

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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.

On January 21, six agents of the Ministry of Intelligence broke down the door of the home of Enayatullah Sana’i (عنایت الله سنایی), a Bahai author and poet living in Sari, and seized a number of religious books, CDs and tapes. Since Mr. Sana’i was not at home, they could not arrest him. His home had also been raided in August 2011: on that occasion with such brutality that his eardrum was ruptured.

Source (in Persian)

January 29: A fuller report of the search and previous events is available at Iran Press News.
Short link: http://wp.me/pNMoJ-184

Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.

The prison sentences previously given to six of the staff of the Bahai Open University (BIHE) have been confirmed by the review court in Tehran. Kamran Morteza’i (کامران مرتضایی) was sentenced to five years in prison, while Mr. Riaz Sobhani, Ramin Ziba’i, Farhad Sadeqi, Mahmud Badevam, and Mrs. Nushin Khadem (ریاض سبحانی، رامین زیبائی، فرهاد صدقی، محمود بادوام و نوشین خادم) were sentenced to four years in prison. A seventh member of staff who was arrested at the same time, Vahid Mahmudi (وحید محمودی), was also sentenced to five years in prison: this sentence was reduced and suspended by the review court, and he was released on January 8.

Source (in Persian)

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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.

This blog reports that in recent days the authorities have pressured Bahai families in Sanandaj and other towns in the region. Twelve Bahai families in Sanandaj have been summoned and questioned, and pressured to abandon the cemetery known as “Golestan Javid” in the village of Hassan Abad, which is held in the name of one of these families. Their homes have also been searched, and computers, photographs and books have been seized.

Source (in Persian)

Today's featured link: Trial of Mohammad Seifzadeh, prominent lawyer and one of the founding members of the Defenders of Human Rights Center.

January 20: The English-langauge Bahai News Service has a much more detailed report.
Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.

Mr. Shahrukh Ta’ef ( شاهرخ طائف ), a Bahai of Tehran, has been summoned to Evin Prison to begin serving a four-year sentence. He has been found guilty of “membership of the Bahai community.” He was arrested on January 14, 2009, following a search of his home, and was held in solitary confinement until March 18, 2009, when he was released on bail.

Today's featured link: The Guardian obituary for Ian Semple

Source (in Persian)
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.

Fu’ad Khanjani ( فؤاد خانجانی ), a Bahai student excluded from tertiary education, has begun serving his 4-year prison sentence, in Evin Prison in Tehran. He had been studying Industrial Management in Isfahan, but was expelled because of his Bahai beliefs. He was arrested on April 27, 2010, and released on bail a few days later. He had previously been arrested on March 2, 2010. His father, `Ala-aldin Khanjani (علاءالدین خانجانی) and other members of the extended family have also been arrested. His sister, Leva Khanjani Mobasher’s two-year prison sentence was upheld by an appeals court in 2011. His grandfather, Jamal-aldin Khanjani (جمال‌الدین خانجانی) is presently serving a 20-year sentence in Rajai Shahr prison, near Tehran. All have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs.

Today's featured link: The Guardian obituary for Ian Semple

Source (in Persian)

Short link: http://wp.me/pNMoJ-17F

Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.