The following news items were reported on the Persian page of Baha’i World News Service on August 26, 2009.
Hamadan (BWNS1):
Mrs. Mehrangiz Husayni, a resident of Hamadan, who was arrested last year on October 24, 2008, was convicted and has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment on the charge of “propagation of the Baha’i Faith”, commenced her incarceration on August 16. [See IPW1]
Karaj (BWNS2):
The trial of Shahram Safajoo, who was summoned to the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Branch 28, on August 22, 2009, has been postponed to October 18, which coincides with the anticipated trial of the former Yaran (“Friends” – informal leaders of the Baha’i community of Iran). Mr. Safajoo was arrested on April 26, 2009, after his residence was searched; he was released on bail on May 18. [See IPW2]
Kashan (BWNS3):
On August 19, Mr. Vahid Haqiqi and his son, Sina, and Mrs. Mona Rouhani – all three residents of Kashan in the province of Isfahan – were summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in their native town. They were arrested the next day, and released on August 22 after providing bail. [See IPW3]
Qa’emshahr (BWNS4):
Mr. Sohrab Laqa’i, a resident of Qa’emshahr, who was arrested on July 8, 2009, has been allowed only a single telephone conversation with his children ever since. The residence of Mr. Laqa’i was searched by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on January 4, 2009, along with the homes of four other Baha’is. [See IPW4].
Sari (BWNS5):
On August 18, 2009, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence raided the home of Mrs. Didar Hashemi, a resident of Sari in the province of Mazandaran, and confiscated certain personal items after a search of the home. The agents had a court order for the search of the building, but not for her arrest. They returned the following day and arrested Mrs. Hashemi. [See IPW5]
Yasuj (BWNS6):
Ali-Askar Ravanbakhsh and his wife, Zulaykha [Musavi-]Ravanbakhsh, who are residents of Mehryan, and Mrs. Ruhiyyih Yazdani (Bagha’i), a resident of Yasuj, were given family leave from prison starting on August 11 (see IPW6). The three Baha’is are completing their 4-year prison sentences, of which 2 years have been reduced to 5 years of probation. They were tried and found guilty on charges of “propagation [of speech] against the Islamic Republic” and “participation in the formation and organization of illegal groups”. For the first charge they received 3 years, and for the second were sentenced to a one-year imprisonment. [Their sentence commenced October 28, 2008.]
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