Baha’i Arrested in Tehran

Source: www.humanrightsiniran.org

Translation by Iran Press Watch

Haleh Gholami, a Baha’i, has been arrested after participating in charity work for child laborers.

The website of Human Rights in Iran reports: Haleh Gholami, a Baha’i from Tehran, was detained by security agents on January 27 because of her belief in the Baha’i Faith, as she was participating in charity work for child laborers.

BahaiNews¹ reported that after her arrest, they searched her home and confiscated her mobile phones and tablets.

Haleh Gholami is an activist for the protection of child laborers and orphans, who has been detained in the Shahrara area of Tehran.

Over the past several years, Baha’i citizens have been arrested and prosecuted on many occasions because of their involvement in social and civic activities.

Baha’is are the largest religious minority in Iran; however the Islamic Republic does not recognize them and refers to their faith as the “deviant sect”. Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, many Baha’i citizens have been arrested solely because of their belief in the Baha’i Faith, and they have have served unjust sentences. However, officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have always contended that the government has never oppressed them because of their adherence to the Baha’i Faith, and that Baha’is benefit from the rights of citizenship.

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1. BahaiNews is an independent non-Baha’i initiative, and is not affiliated with any Baha’i institutions.