IOPHR, June 12, 2013
A report from a students’ rights group in Iran presents a useful overview of how, for a period, some Bahai students came to be at university there, despite a government policy to hamper the development of the community by limiting Bahais’ rights to employment and education, and of how they have been expelled. The report also covers restrictions on the right of women to education, and the expulsion of “starred” (outspoken) students. As regards the Bahais it says: (more…)
Azadi Qalam (blog), June 2
`Adnan Rahmat-Penah ( عدنان رحمتپناه ) has been held in limbo in `Adel-Abad prison in Shiraz for almost 6 months now. On May 23 it was announced that the Branch 3 of the revolutionary court would determine his status, but when his family went there, as in the three previous cases, the court official said that because of a heavy workload he had not yet read the file. Finally, they were told, “I am not the official responsible for this file, it belongs in Branch 1 of the revolutionary court.” This was a delaying tactic to gain time to deal with the file.
See previous reports of the four previous occasions on which Mr. Rahmat-Penah’s trial was scheduled, on April 16, 17, 29 and 30.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA (English)
A number of Bahais are among the cases reviewed by Iran’s national review court in Tehran in the past year. No conviction are overturned, one sentence was reduced, and in most cases the sentence and information is identical to what has previously been published on Sen’s Daily (based largely on the work of the indefatigable and courageous human rights reporters who gather information in Iran). However this report states that Ayeh Anvari (آیه انوری) was fined 20 million Rials by the revolutionary court of Razavi Khorasan on September 1, 2012. This would be a reduction on her previous sentence (reported March 10, 2012) of 18 months in prison. She was arrested in Isfahan on June 27, 2011.
According to this report, Taraneh Torabi ( ترانه ترابی ) of Semnan was sentenced to 20 months in prison, whereas previous reports had been of a 30-month sentence.
Anisa Dehqani (انیسا دهقانی) is reported to have been sentenced to six months in prison by the revolutionary court of Razavi Khorasan on September 16, 2012. Her arrest in Mashhad had previously been reported, but not her sentence.
Keyvan Dehqani (کیوان دهقانی), is reported to have been sentenced to six months in prison by the revolutionary court of Razavi Khorasan on September 16, 2012. His arrest and release on bail had previously been reported, but not his sentence.
The cases for which this report from the review court simply confirms previous information regarding Bahai prisoners are as follows:
Bashir Ehsani ( بشیر احسانی ), sentenced to two years in prison, suspended three years in prison by the revolutionary court of Tehran on April 1, 2012.
Sonya Ahmadi ( سونیا احمدی ), sentenced to five year in prison by the revolutionary court of Razavi Khorasan on June 1, 2013.
Taher Eskandariyan ( طاهر اسکندریان ), sentenced to three years in prison by the revolutionary court of Semnan on October 1, 2012.
Shohreh Azemi ( شهره اعظمی ), sentenced to eight months in prison by the revolutionary court of Semnan on June 22, 2012.
Puya Tabiyaniyan ( پویتبیانیانا ), sentenced to six and a half years in prison by the revolutionary court of Semnan on October 1, 2012.
Sanaz Tafazzoli ( ساناز تفضلی ), sentenced to six months in prison by the revolutionary court of Razavi Khorasan on September 16, 2012.
Elham Ruzbehi (الهام روزبهی) and baby, sentenced to 24 months in prison by the revolutionary court of Semnan on July 1, 2012.
Afrasayab Sobhani ( افراسیاب سبحانی ), sentenced to one year in prison by the revolutionary court of Semnan on October 1, 2012.
Anisa Fana’ayan ( انیسا فناییان ), sentenced to 22 months in prison by the revolutionary court of Semnan on October 1, 2012.
Faramarz Firuzeyan ( فرامرز فیروزیان ), sentenced to one year in prison by the revolutionary court of Semnan on January 1, 2013.
Noora Nabilzadeh ( نورا نبیلزاده), sentenced to five years in prison by the revolutionary court of Razavi Khorasan on June 1, 2012.
Muhammad Hussein Nakh`i ( محمد حسین نخعی ), sentenced to one year in prison (released on completion) and a fine of 6 million rials by the revolutionary court of Birjand on February 1, 2013. [The date refers to the decision of the provincial review court to lower his sentence to one year in prison, by which time he had already been in prison from May, 2012.]
Zohreh Nik-A’in ( زهره نیک آئین ) and baby, sentenced to 23 months in prison by the revolutionary court of Semnan on June 22, 2012.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Radio Zamaneh, May 31
Hamid Eslami ( حمید اسلامی ) and Rahman Vafa’i (رحمان وفائی ), who were arrested in Shiraz on July 14, 2012, have been sentenced to three years in prison. They are charged with with “propaganda against the regime” and “membership in Baha’i organizations.” Mr. Vafayi, who is 59 years old, suffers from heart complications and his family fears the effects of imprisonment on his health.
HRANA source (in Persian)
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, May 31
On the evening of May 30, Emanullah Mostaqim ( امانالله مستقیم ), one of the staff of the Bahai Open University (BIHE) in Iran, was transferred to Raja’i Shahr prison in Kharaj, near Tehran. He reported to Evin prison in Tehran on May 20, to begin serving his 5-year sentence for “membership of the Bahai community” and supporting the University. He has recently had open heart surgery, and suffers from diabetes.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Zendani Bahai (Facebook group), May 30
Sentences have been announced for four Bahais from Mashhad: Nika Khalusi, Nava Khalusi, Adib Sho`a`i and Mahsa Mahdavi ( نیکا خلوصی، نوا خلوصی، ادیب شعاعی و مهسا مهدوی ). They are accused of teaching the Bahai Faith, propaganda against the regime and membership of Bahai organisations. Their sentences are: Nika Khalusi, 6 years; Nava Khalusi, four and a half years; Adib Sho`a`i, 18 months; Mahsa Mahdavi, 8 months.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
100 letters for freedom (blog, editorial opinion), May 25
There are numerous Bahais in prison in Semnan, including women with small babies and. in the men’s wing, some Bahais who have serious illnesses. Despite the help given by the General Manager of prisons in Semnan province, Mr. Arab, and the promise that prison furloughs would be granted to prisoners without regard to their personal beliefs, and despite the cooperation of the head of Semnan’s central prison and other prison authorities there, to allow prison furloughs for Bahai prisoners, Mr. Haydar Asyabi ( حیدر آسیابی ), the Provincial Attorney, has refused to allow it. He has even refused Bahais early release at the end of their prison terms. At the Now Ruz holidays, even Bahai prisoners whose medical records were presented, with a recommendation for therapeutic furlough, were denied any leave. In each case, reference is made to the Medical Officer for the prison, Mr. Shateri ( شاطری ) who has knowingly contributed to the oppression of the Bahai community in Semnan. He is responsible for treating all the illnesses in the prison, and the Attorney has relied on his opinion in refusing leave to the prisoners. However the prison regulations specify that it is the Provincial Attorney who is responsible. In some cases, the medical conditions of Bahai prisoners have been exacerbated by lack of timely treatment. The Provincial Attorney’s duties and freedom to act are very broad, and prison regulations and the criminal procedure stress the importance of the physical and mental health of prisoners, which raises the question of why Mr. Asyabi has not used this power to grant leave to the Bahai prisoners? Why has he participated in the oppression of the Bahais, without regard for the rules and principles of Human Rights?
Update, May 27: IOPHRI reports that Sufi prisoners in Evin prison are being refused medical treatment, unless they can obtain permission from the Ministry of Intelligence.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, May 25
On May 23, 32 agents from the Ministry of “intelligence” in Semnan raided the home of Maryam Khanjani ( مریم خانجانی ) in Semnan. They searched the house and cursed and insulted those present. Mrs. Khanjani’s daughter, Golbanu Khanjani ( گلبانو خانجانی ), lost consciousness as a result. The agents departed when an ambulance arrived for her. Maryam Khanjani is the sister of Mr. Khanjani, one of the seven ‘Yaran’ (national facilitators for the Bahai community in Iran) who are serving 20-year sentences as prisoners of conscience in Raja’i Shahr prison. Mrs. Golbanu Khanjani is the mother of Omid Firuzeyan ( امید فیروزیان ), who is serving a sentence of four and a half years in Semnan prison.
All 32 agents are reported to have emerged from the day’s action without injury, except to their manhood.
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Azadi Qalam, May 24
Nika and Nava Khalusi ( نیکا و نوا خلوصی ), who were tried recently on charges of membership of the Bahai organisation, participation in illegal Bahai activities, and propaganda in favour of the Bahais and against the regime of the Islamic Republic, are free on bail in Mashhad, and awaiting their sentences. Actually, they are waiting for the verdict, but this is Iran and they are Bahais, so in fact the question is, how long will they be in prison? A four-day flower and shrub exhibition was held in Mashhad from May 15, and the two sisters took part. They were assigned a booth, but on the first night of the exhibition the management cut off their electricity. Initially the reason given was “bad hejab,” but when they followed up on this they were told the orders had come from “above” (meaning the Army or Ministry of Intelligence), but they were not given any judicial order or written evidence of the decision. They were later asked to withdraw from the exhibition, which they refused. They continued their work, using candles and the light from neighbouring stalls. At the end of the exhibition, the management agreed to refund half of their exhibition fee.
On a lighter note: the PCED reports that Navid Khanjani (نوید خانجانی) has been allowed to meet his family for 20 minutes.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Bahai News (US), May 22
The Sentinel Project, an independent Toronto-based NGO that focuses on genocide prevention, has recently launched a visualization of the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran. The Sentinel Project has deemed the situation of the Iranian Baha’is to be a “Situation of Concern.” It has previously expressed the need to continue to watch the situation in Iran closely. The visualization show the number of incidents over time (fairly constant in recent months, with a respite as the election approaches) and the geographical spread (which appears to this layman to roughly follow the distribution of the urbanised population). The article includes links to two previous reports on the genocide risk facing the Bahais in Iran. I am gratified to see that many of the micro-history reports translated on Sen’s Daily have been entered in the database and assembled into an overall picture.
Short links: http://wp.me/pNMoJ-1JR
http://tinyurl.com/Sentinel-Bahai
Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
100 letters for freedom (blog), May 22
The sentences have been announced for seven Bahai men from Gorgan, who were tried in Tehran on April 24. Fahrmand Sana’i, Kamal Kashani, Payam Markazi, Siamak Sadri, Fu’ad Fahandezh and Kourush Ziari ( فرهمند سنایی، کمال کاشانی، پیام مرکزی، سیامک صدری، فواد فهندژ و کوروش زیاری) were sentenced to five years each, while Farhad Fahandezh (فرهاد فهندژ) was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The charges were “organising and running an illegal organisation, membership of an illegal organisation, and propaganda against the regime.” They were among about 20 Bahais who were detained in a wave of arrests on about October 17. (Kourush Ziari is from Gonbad-e Qabus, where he was arrested and later transferred to Gorgan). After some weeks in detention in Gorgan, all seven were transferred to Evin prison in Tehran for interrogation, after which they were sent to Raja’i Shahr prison.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, May 21
Didar Ra’ufi (دیدار رئوفی ) who was reported to have been released from Raja’i Shahr prison on January 27, 2013, having served a three year sentence for membership of the Bahai community and teaching the Bahai Faith, is listed today among the prisoners of conscience on leave, who have been told to return to Raja’i Shahr prison. He was arrested on January 4, 2010, but was free on bail from October 16, 2011 to January 13, 2012 (3 months), and had 5 days of furlough at Now Ruz, 2012. Thus at the time of his release on January 27, he still had about 6 weeks of his sentence to serve.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Yaran Iran (facebook group), May 20
Emanullah Mostaqim ( امانالله مستقیم ), one of the staff of the Bahai Open University (BIHE) in Iran, reported to Evin prison in Tehran on May 20, to begin serving his 5-year sentence for “membership of the Bahai community” and supporting the University. He has recently had open heart surgery, and suffers from diabetes. His doctors have said that prison conditions will be difficult and perhaps dangerous for him.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, May 16
Gudarz Bidaqi ( گودرز بیدقی ) and his daughter Roufiya Bidaqi ( روفیا بیدقی ) have been freed from prison in Semnan, after completing their one-year sentences. Mr. Bidaqi was arrested in March, 2011, and sentenced in September 2011 to one year in prison and two years of exile from the province, on the charge of “propaganda against the regime through teaching the Bahai Faith.” His exile is expected to begin soon. [While this HRANA reports states his exile is for two years, other reports and those of his trial state it is for 3 years ~ Sen] Mr. Bidaqi is in his sixties, and has already served one term in prison for his beliefs, after the 1979 revolution. His daughter, Roufiya Bidaqi ( روفیا بیدقی ) was sentenced to one year in prison, on charges of propaganda against the regime and participation in Bahai activities. The family’s business has also been closed by the authorities.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, May 16
The third sitting of the trial of Nika and Nava Khalusi ( نیکا و نوا خلوصی ) took place in Mashhad on May 6. They were charged with membership of the Bahai organisation, participation in illegal Bahai activities, and propaganda in favour of the Bahais and against the regime of the Islamic Republic. The two sisters have been free on bail pending the trial. They were arrested on September 26, 2012, and were held for 57 days in solitary confinement, followed by 4 months in Vakil Abad prison, before being released on bail.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, May 17
On the second anniversary of the arrest and detention of a number of teachers and administrators in the Bahai Open University (BIHE), 12 prisoners of conscience in one wing of Raja’i Shahr prison have signed an open letter addressed to their compatriots, protesting the imprisonment of Bahais “whose only crime was spreading knowledge and science.”
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HRANA, May 11 ~
In recent days, security forces went to the shop of Houshmand Sana’i ( هوشمند ثنایی ) in Bojnurd and seized the entire stock of toiletries and beauty products. Several months ago the shop was closed by local body officials, on instructions from the Ministry of Intelligence. No reason was given. Last year, Mr. Sana’i, his wife Sho`eleh Shahidi ( شعله شهیدی ) and their son Shayan Sana’i ( شایان ثنایی ) were arrested and held for a time by the Ministry of Intelligence in Bojnurd.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Yaran Iran (facebook group), May 11
Dr. Fu’ad Moqaddam ( فواد مقدم ), a Bahai from Isfahan and one of the teachers of the Bahai online university, the BIHE, began his 5-year sentence at Evin Prison in Tehran this morning. He was arrested in Isfahan in May 2012 in the course of the raids that targeted the BIHE, and was tried on June 23. One of the charges against him was “membership of the Bahai community.” He was freed on bail on June 15, 2012.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, May 9
Parisa Shahidi ( پریسا شهیدی ), a Bahai from Gorgan, was arrested by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence, who first searched her home, on May 8. She is the wife of Kamal Kashani ( کمال کاشانی ), one of five Bahais from Gorgan who have been held without trial for more than 6 months in Raja’i Shahr prison, near Tehran. On the same day, agents from the Ministry of intelligence tried to arrest two other Bahais in Gorgan, Mazhdeh Zahuri and Mona Farahani ( مژده ظهوری (فهندژ) و مونا فراهانی (نیکونژاد)), but found neither at home. Mazhdeh Zahuri is the wife of Farhad Fahandezh ( فرهاد فهندژ ), another of the Bahais from Gorgan held in Raja’i Shahr prison.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Azadi Qalam, May 2
After several false starts on April 16 and 17 (reported earlier), the trial of `Adnan Rahmat-Penah ( عدنان رحمتپناه ), a Bahai from Shiraz, was rescheduled for April 29. When he arrived at the court, Judge Sadati postponed the trial for four hours. At 1 p.m. the judge entered the court, just as the call to prayer sounded, so he left again to attend attend the prayers. After the prayers, the judge told Mr. Rahmat-Penah’s lawyer that there was not sufficient time to deal with the case that day, so the trial would be delayed until the following day. It was notable that, when Mr. Rahmat-Penah and a political prisoner entered the courtroom, the judge — who was under the impression that they were Christian converts — began to insult them. Mr. Rahmat-Penah’s lawyer pointed out that the charges against them were quite different.
On April 30 Mr. Rahmat-Penah appeared in court at 11:30. The judge insulted his religious beliefs, directly and indirectly, and said he was “unclean,” according to the Quran, and told his lawyer that one should not shake hands with them. The lawyer responded that Bahais are human too, and added, “To me, humanity is important.” The judge replied, “Although this matter has been mentioned, we will judge everyone equally.” However the judge continued with his insults, directed not only at the defendant but at all the Bahais, saying, “You Bahais are all animals, only Muslims have the correct beliefs, and then only the twelver Shiahs.” After two hours, the judge finally turned to the case, and finding that Mr. Rahmat-Penah was one of 15 people arrested two years previously, whose cases were being handled by another judge, in courtroom 3, he sent the case there. That trail is not scheduled until late July. Mr. Rahmat-Penah and his family are left in suspense again.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Zendani Bahai (FB group), May 4
Three of the Bahai women imprisoned in Semnan have been set free. Zhinous Nourani ( ژینوس نورانی ) was freed on April 30, after serving a one-year sentence. Neda Majidi ( ندا مجیدی ) was released on the same day. She was sentenced to a fine of 40 million 40 rials (2,600 euros; 3200 US dollars) or a six-month sentence. Apparently she was not able to pay the fine. At the time of her arrest she had a nursing child. She has been released one month early because of the poor health of her baby, Sourna ( سورنا). Shohreh Azimi ( شهره اعظمی ) was released on April 28, about 50 days before the end of her 8-month sentence for membership of the Bahai community.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
The “Ridvan message” for 2013 is now available in English (click here).
This message of the Universal House of Justice, addressed to the Bahais of the world, is released every year during the festival of Ridvan, when Bahais celebrate the twelve days that Baha’u’llah spent in the garden of Ridvan, on the outskirts of Baghdad, in 1863. The message has an important role in setting the focus and tone of Bahai activities around the world in the following year, and is sometimes used to announce significant developments.
I have placed the English message in text format in the documents archive on my Bahai studies blog. I will follow with translations in other languages as these become available.
Persian translation / ترجمه فارسی
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HRANA, May 2
Noora Nabilzadeh ( نورا نبیلزاده) and Sanaz Tafazzoli ( ساناز تفضلی ) were transferred from Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad, where they are in the serving sentences in the wing for prisoners of conscience, to the offices of the Ministry of Intelligence on May 1. No reason was given. The agents said they were being taken to the Ministry’s facilities for 10 days. Sanaz Tafazzoli will complete her 6-month sentence on May 5, but it appears she will not be released. Noora Nabilzadeh is serving a 5-year sentence on charges of blasphemy and spreading the Bahai Faith. She was arrested while playing music for the children in an orphanage.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Bahai World News Service, April 30
The results of the election of the nine members of the Universal House of Justice have been announced. Those elected for the next five-year term are Paul Lample, Firaydoun Javaheri, Payman Mohajer, Gustavo Correa, Shahriar Razavi, Stephen Birkland, Stephen Hall, Chuungu Malitonga, and Ayman Rouhani. Of these, Chuungu Malitonga, and Ayman Rouhani are new members: both are Counsellors serving at the International Teaching Centre. This means that, as in previous years, all members of the Universal House of Justice are drawn from the corps of Counsellors at the ITC.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, April 28
Elham Ruzbehi (الهام روزبهی), a Bahai living in Isfahan, reported to Semnan prison with her baby on April 27, to begin serving her 2 year sentence. She is the fourth Bahai mother who is serving her prison sentence with her baby. 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 freed on bail one month later. She was sentenced to 3 years of prison, which was reduced to 2 years by the court of review. She has been living in Isfahan for more than one year, but has had to go to Semnan prison.
The names of the Bahai prisoners in Semnan were recently listed (in Persian) by the Bahai Azadi blog, along with photographs of the women prisoners.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, April 28
Muhammad Hussein Nakh`i ( محمد حسین نخعی ) and Golrokh Firuzeyan ( گلرخ فیروزیان ) have been released, from Birjand and Semnan prisons, respectively. Mr. Nakh`i, who is 87 years old, lives in the village of Khusef, near Birjand. He was Iran’s oldest prisoner of conscience. He was detained on May 14, 2012, and sentenced to one year in prison, a fine of 6 million rials (360 euros; 500 US dollars), and a five-year suspended sentence, on charges of propaganda against the regime in the form of teaching the Bahai Faith, and membership of the Bahai community. He has completed the one year in prison.
Golrokh Firuzeyan was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence in Semnan on March 12, and released on bail on Spril 25. Bail was set at 100 million tumans (62,000 euros, $US 81,000).
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
IOPHRI, April 25
The son of Riaz Sobhani ( ریاض سبحانی ), who was arrested in June 2011 and is imprisoned for assisting the work of the Bahai Open University (BIHE), has told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that his father’s physical and mental condition has worsened in prison. His father is 67 years old and suffers from heart disease, a lung disease and stomach bleeding. He is serving a four-year sentence in Raja’i Shahr prison, in Karaj, near Tehran. In May 2012 he was hospitalized because his heart condition had become acute. Na’im Sobhani, his son, who lives in America, said that the medical officer had authorised two months leave for his father, but he was only granted six weeks. During these six weeks he had medical tests. Two weeks ago he had to return to prison. Since then, the family in Iran have seen his mental condition deteriorate sharply and he is suffering more pain. It is very hard for him, given his age, and the prison conditions are intolerable. Last year he was hospitalized for constriction of the arteries and had surgery. Two days later he was back in prison, which meant that he could not be under medical observation. His condition worsened day by day until the medical officer granted him two months leave. Conditions in Raja’i Shahr prison are very unsanitary. There are 4 or 5 prisoners in each two-person cell, so they share a bed, or it is given to someone who is old or sick. Each prisoner has just one blanket in the winter. The washing facilities are filthy and the food is bad. There is nothing to be done about, because, basically, they are not considered human.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
IOPHRI, April 25
Ardeshir Fena’eyan (اردشیر فناییان), a Bahai who was arrested in Semnan on February 12, was released on bail on April 10. He was held for 68 days in the Ministry of Intelligence facilities in Semnan. Bail was set at 50 million tumans (31,000 euros, US$41,000).
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, April 24
Seven Bahais from Gorgan, and one from Tehran, were tried in Tehran on April 24. The charges were “organising and running an illegal organisation, membership of an illegal organisation, and propaganda against the regime.” All eight have been held in Raja’i Shahr prison, near Tehran. Their names are Farhad Fahandezh, Fahrmand Sana’i, Siamak Sadri,Kamal Kashani, Fu’ad Fahandezh, Kourush Ziari, Payam Markazi and `Adel Na`imi ( فرهاد فهندژ، فرهمند ثنایی، سیامک صدری، کمال کاشانی، فواد فهندژ، کوروش زیاری، پیام مرکزی و عادل نعیمی). Mr. Na`imi is from Tehran, the other seven are from the Gorgan region. They were among about 20 Bahais who were detained in a wave of arrests on about October 17. (Kourush Ziari is from Gonbad-e Qabus, where he was arrested and later transferred to Gorgan). After some weeks in detention in Gorgan, all seven were transferred to Evin prison in Tehran for interrogation, after which they were sent to Raja’i Shahr prison.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, April 23
Navid Keyhanirad ( نوید کیهانی راد ), a Bahai student doing an Master’s degree in software engineering at the Sharif Technical University of Shiraz, has been expelled because of his religion, although he was one of the top postgraduate students. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree at Shiraz TU in June 2012) [It would appear that the ban on Bahais entering higher education in Iran, is not always considered to apply to technical studies at a lower level ~Sen].
As he was the top student, he should have been able to gain a place at Sharif University (in Tehran). But officials prevented him sitting the entrance examination, so he continued his studies in Shiraz. He was able to enroll there without sitting the entrance examination because there is a quota for top students. In December 2012, at the end of the first term, the university security office summoned him and questioned him about his Bahai beliefs. They told him that he would be barred from the university, beginning on the following day. He was however treated with respect by the university’s guards, because the saw that in filling in the application form he had told the truth [That he was doing advanced studies, not lower-level technical studies]. He was not given copies of his qualifications.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, February 27
Panidh Fazl `Ali ( پانید فضل علی ), a Bahai student of Industrial Engineering, has been expelled from the University of Science and Technology in Tehran. He discovered he had been expelled on February 23, when he accessed the university’s web site. Next day he went to the University’s office of educational administration, where he was informed verbally that he had been expelled because of his Bahai beliefs, that the decision had been made by the national body overseeing educational assessments (the Sanjesh), and that no written evidence of the expulsion would be given. He was in term 6 of the programme, and had excellent grades.
(This is old news, which I somehow overlooked at the time. But this blog is not here simply to keep readers up to date with Bahai news. One small thing we can do for prisoners of conscience and those who suffer discrimination because of their race, religion or sexual orientation, is to let their stories be heard. And let their persecutors know, that the things they do are noted. ~Sen)
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, April 19
On April 15, Faramarz Firuzeyan ( فرامرز فیروزیان ), a Bahai from Semnan, reported to Semnan central prison to begin serving a one-year sentence for “propaganda against the regime.”
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Azadi Qalam, April 17
The first trial date for `Adnan Rahmat-Penah ( عدنان رحمتپناه ), a Bahai from Shiraz, was set for April 16, but no trial was held because he was not transferred to the court from the prison. His family’s enquires to the officers who bring prisoners to the court resulted in various answers, such as ‘his name was not on the list.’ Another officer said that three other names were missing from the list, but those prisoners were taken for trial. After some discussion between the family, their lawyer and the judge it was decided that another trial date would be set next day, on April 17. But when the family arrived at court, they were sent to the office of the prison. They asked why `Adnan had not been sent to the court, and were told “We got the message from the court, but we didn’t want to send him.” The strange thing about this is, why would the prison officials contravene the order of the court and judge? Are they ridiculing the court, or was it a deliberate ruse to put `Adnan under psychological pressure?`Adnan’s brother Eyman ( ایمان رحمت پناه ) was one of a groups of Bahais who were arrested in Shiraz early in March 2012.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
MB in English (watchdog blog), March 7
Egypt’s Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs has barred the Bahai community from receiving foreign funding. Counsellor Mohamed El-Demerdash, legal advisor to the Ministry, revealed this during a discussion of the NGO law in the Shura Council, saying that the Ministry has recently discovered the existence of foreign funding for some NGOs and groups with objectives that flout society’s rules and morals, such as supporting Bahai thought.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, April 11
Mona Amri Hesari and Rufeya Pakzadan ( مونا امری حصاری و روفیا پاکزادان ), two Bahai women living in Gorgan who were arrested on March 18, were released on bail on April 1. They had been held in Amir Abad prison in Gorgan for 24 days. They have been charged with membership of Bahai organisations, teaching the Bahai Faith, and communicating with foreign governments. Bail for Rufeya Pakzadan was set at 100 million tumans (62,000 euros, $US81,000), and for Mona Amri at 150 million tumans (93,000 euros, $US122,000).
On October 17, 2012, security forces in Gorgan arrested 17 Bahais in a series of coordinated and sometimes violent raids on Bahai homes. Six of these arrestees, and one Bahai from Gonbad who was already being held at that time, were transferred to Raja’i Shahr prison, near Tehran.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, April 14
The conditions in Semnan Prison’s special wing for women where Bahai prisoners are held are unbearable. The food is very bad, and since glass was found in some of the food, many of the prisoners have refused to eat prison food. Since they are not allowed to buy food directly from the prison shop, and have to make generally inferior purchases of leftovers from the men’s wing, many of the prisoners go to sleep hungry. Among those affected by the poor quality of the food are three women with nursing babies. In this prison — the Central Prison of Semnan — prisoners are not separated according to the charges against them, so the Bahai women are held with thieves, drug addicts, murderers and foreign nationals. The Bahai prisoners also have to sleep on the floor of the common area, due to lack of space, which gives a sense of insecurity, especially for those with infants. Recently, on Children’s day, the Women and Children’s Protection Society distributed a grant for children in prison, but the Bahai women with children were not included, because of their religion.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, April 15
Babak Zeynali ( بابک زینلی ), a Bahai from Bandar Abbas, was arrested by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence on April 15. The agents searched his home and confiscated personal effects including Bahai books and CDs and a laptop computer. It would appear that the agents’ behaviour was unseemly. It is not known where he is being held, or what the charges may be.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, April 6
Aravar Qutbi-Anvari and Arman Anvari, a Bahai couple living in Isfahan, were arrested on March 18. They were released on March 25, after having deposited legal documents as bail. No other details have been provided.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, March 31
The pressure on Bahai prisoners in Semnan prison has been increased recently. The efforts of the prisoners and their families to raise the issue with prison officials and the Ministry of Intelligence have been fruitless. The Bahai prisoners are denied access to the prison yard, the library, the gymnasium, the prison shop, the telephone and are separated from the other prisoners. Great care is taken to see that they have no contact with other prisoners. The Bahais have been denied the right to telephone their families, on the orders of security officials. Many restrictions are applied in a discriminatory way to the Bahai prisoners, to an extent that their families describe as violating their human dignity and civil rights.
In the past year, more than 25 Bahais have served all or part of their sentences in the central prison in Semnan. The full text of this report lists their names and current status (in Persian).
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, March 31
The sisters Nava and Nika Khalusi ( نوا و نیکا خلوصی ) have been freed on bail, after 185 days in ‘temporary detention’ in Mashhad. They were detained by security forces on September 26, 2012, and held for two months by the Ministry of Intelligence, before being transferred to Vakil Abad prison near Mashhad.
The bail was set at 3 billion rials (191,000 euros, $US 244,000).
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
Sad Nameh ta Azadeh (blog), March 24
Behfar Khanjani ( بهفر خانجانی ), a Bahai from Semnan who is serving a four-year prison sentence there, has been struggling with a medical condition for some years, but the Prosecutor and state-appointed doctor have refused permission for him to receive treatment. His condition has been exacerbated by the stress of the past 2 years in prison, and the lack of a suitable environment there. He has been allowed only a few days of leave from prison, too short for an observable improvement in his condition.
Behfar Khanjani is serving a 4 year sentence for membership of illegal Bahai groups and attending Bahai prayer meetings and the 19th-day ‘Feast.’ He was arrested on January 6 2010, after a search of his home by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. He has also been the target of two arson attacks on his home using Molotov cocktails. He was among the Bahais who were pressured by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence for more than four hours on December 4, 2012, to give “interviews” for television. While he has been in prison, his sister and wife have also been interrogated.
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Editorial, March 27
The Willmette Institute has announced a groundbreaking online course on the Persecution of the Iranian Baha’i Community, designed for those who want to work more effectively in the field of human rights, and for those who want to study academic and human rights literature on this topic. Two leading Iranian human rights activists, Ahmad Batebi and Fariba Davoudi will accompany Farhad Sabetan and Kavian Milani in teaching this course. It has been designed to be of interest to the NGO community, university students, informed citizens and those who want to get active in this arena.
Contact: The Wilmette Institute
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
CHRR, March 20
Mona Amri Hesari and Rufeya Pakzadan ( مونا امری حصاری و روفیا پاکزادان ), two Bahai women living in Gorgan who were arrested on March 18, have been charged and, on a judge’s orders, transferred to Amir Abad prison in Gorgan. On October 17, 2012, security forces in Gorgan arrested 17 Bahais in a series of coordinated and sometimes violent raids on Bahai homes. Six of these arrestees, and one Bahai from Gonbad who was already being held at that time, were transferred to Raja’i Shahr prison, near Tehran, where they are being held in ‘temporary’ detention (see the previous report on this blog). Others have apparently been released, since Mona Amri Hesari and Rufeya Pakzadan are reported to be the only Bahais in prison in Gorgan at present.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, March 18
Mona Amri and Rufeya Pakzadan ( مونا امری و روفیا پاکزادان ), two Bahai women living in Gorgan, were arrested in their home by security forces at 11 a.m. this morning (March 18). It is not known where they are being held.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, March 13
Navid Khanjani ( نوید خانجانی ), a Bahai human rights activist and the founder of the PCED (Campaign against Educational Discrimination), has been severely beaten by warders at Tehran’s Evin Prison. He is serving a 12 year sentence in Raja’i Shahr prison, near Tehran, on charges of spreading propaganda (an activity which the IRI itself engages in), disturbing public opinion, propaganda against the regime in the reports and interviews of foreign media membership of the central committee of the CHRR (Committee of Human Rights Reporters), and founding the PCED. He was summoned this morning to go to the Tehran revolutionary court, and when he refused to wear a prison uniform, the guards beat him severely. It is not known why he was summoned to the court.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
PCED, March 12
Ten Bahais associated with the Bahai Open University (BIHE) appeared at the Public Prosecutor’s office in Tehran on March 12. A previous report stated that only six had been summoned for trial. They are named as Babak Beheshti, `Abas Ta’ef, Hassan Momtaz, Negin Qadameyan and the four previously named: Azita Rafi`zadeh, Peyman Kushkabaghi, Nazanin Niku-Sarasht, Nasim Baqeri, Talu` Golkar and Ahmad Golzadeh ( بابک بهشتی،عباس طائف،حسن ممتاز، نگین قدمیان، آزیتا رفیعزاده، پیمان کوشکباغی، نازنین نیکو سرشت، نسیم باقری، طلوع گلکار و احمد گلزار ). After presenting their defence, they were released on bail.
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Justice for Iran, March 10 [update March 15]
Justice for Iran has named 15 individuals prominent in the persecution of the Bahais in Iran, and/or prominent in spreading the anti-Bahai ideology, and “requests that the European Union (EU) and countries supporting human rights use political and diplomatic means to apply pressure on the IRI to end the persecution of Baha’is and include the names of these fifteen human rights violators in human rights sanctions, including instituting travel bans against them and freezing their assets.” In addition to prominent government figures, the list includes Hossein Shariatmadari, Editor-in-Chief of Keyhan newspaper. Justice for Iran‘s plea is accompanied by documentation and historical background regarding the rise of anti-Bahaism in Iran and its consequences for the Bahai minority there.
The document has been published in English and Persian
Update, March 15
The list of individuals actually sanctioned has been published. Hossein Shariatmadari has not been included. The list includes:
- Asadollah Jafari, Prosecutor of Mazandaran Province, where anti-Bahaism and the prosecution of Bahais for crimes of conscience is particularly rife.
- Seyyed Reza Musavi-Tabar, Prosecutor of Shiraz, and responsible for Detention Centre 100, where many Bahais have been held. He condemned Raha Sabet to 3 years in solitary confinement.
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HRANA, March 12
Golrokh Firuzeyan ( گلرخ فیروزیان ) has been arrested, after having gone to the court in Semnan on March 9. She has been handed over to the Ministry of Intelligence. She is from Semnan, but has been living in Tehran. For some weeks the Ministry of Intelligence in Semnan has been holding her sister Shidrock hostage, and threatening the safety of her family in Semnan.
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
HRANA, March 11
Six Bahais associated with the Bahai Open University (BIHE) were summoned to appear in court in Tehran on March 12. Their names are given as Azita Rafi`zadeh, Peyman Kushkabaghi, Nazanin Niku-Sarasht, Nasim Baqeri, Talu` Golkar and Ahmad Golzadeh ( آزیتا رفیعزاده، پیمان کوشکباغی، نازنین نیکو سرشت، نسیم باقری، طلوع گلکار و احمد گلزار ).
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Older items can be found in the archive, here. Even older news is here.
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Bush fire near Panama temple quelled
Tags: Bahai Faith, House of Worship, Panama, temple, بهایی, بهائی, بهائیت
Telementro, March 29 +
A bush fire that started around 6pm on Thursday 28th, close to the Bahai temple in Panama, burned through the night but was largely quelled by 7.30 am on Friday. Firefighters are still working on two fire fronts, and have not yet made any deductions about the cause of the fire. There are walking trails in the area around the temple.
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