In the days leading up to Naw-Ruz, March 21, agents of Ministry of Intelligence raided and searched the home of Mr. Mishel Ismaelpour, one of the Baha’is of Tonekabon (see attached map). A few days later, he was summoned to the Information Office of the same Ministry and interrogated, but was allowed to leave.
On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, a certain Mr. Ghulami of the above-mentioned Information Office summoned this Baha’i again, and from 8:30 in the morning until 12:30 in the afternoon he was questioned. Afterwards, he was sent to court under guard, where the prosecutor issued a temporary arrest order. He was then brought back again to the same Information Office.
When Mr. Ismaelpour’s family inquired of his whereabouts and condition, the Information Office refused to give a satisfactory response. That same afternoon, around 5 PM, he was sent to the prison facility of the Central Information Office in Sari.
According to the prosecutor in this case and contradictory statements by officials at the Information and Intelligence Office, Mr. Ismaelpour had not fully cooperated with officials in providing information about his beliefs. It was for this reason, and to complete his file, that he was sent to Sari.
April 23, 2009 11:54 pm
Every time Aya Ali Khamanei arrests a Baha’i, you can bet your last Rial on it that he is trying to cover up either his own or another mollahs corruption or embezzelment.
Aya Ali Khamanei just doesn’t get it. His regime is so corrupt that even if he arrests all the Baha’is, Jews, Christians, Buddists and Muslims in the world they wont be enough to cover up his and his mollahs corruption. He just doesn’t get it that running a country in the 21st century is not the same a running a tribe of 21st centuries B.C.
April 24, 2009 3:09 am
Ali,
I’ve been a Baha’i for 21 years. I always knew that there was persecution of the Baha’is historically. I remember reading about Mona Mahmudnizhad the other women who were excecuted.,.and thinking how awful Iran was for persecuting people of such a peaceful religion.
After 21 years i can honestly say that we might see change in our lifetime. In the news certain radical Islamic groups in the Middle East are being exposed for their crimes against humanity. There may not be much action as to stop these groups at the moment,..but at least they are being exposed. To me that is the first step.