Source: www.hra-news.org
Translation by Iran Press Watch
According to HRANA (Human Rights Activist News Agency in Iran), more than 96 Baha’i-owned shops in Mazandaran Province remain sealed, since a series of forced closures by police and agents of the Bureau of Public Places last November (2016), by order of the Attorney General of Mazandaran Province.
In June 2017, the Administrative Court of Mazandaran ruled in favor of the owners of these sealed shops. This ruling was based on the “Article 28 of the Labor Code” which allows businesses to close for up to 15 days in a calendar year without having to report to authorities. Despite the verdict, authorities have not unsealed the shops nor restored work permits to the Baha’i business owners in that region.
The Article 28 15-day business closure statute applies to all Iranian citizens; however, it is routinely disregarded in the case of Baha’is, who find their shops sealed by police and agents of the Bureau of Public Places when they close in observance of Baha’i religious holidays.
The government of Iran does not recognize the Baha’i Faith and Iranian officials routinely speak against the Baha’i. Baha’is in Iran are not afforded their legal civil rights, and there has been ongoing policy of impeding their financial activities. This policy has gained momentum under the Presidency of Hassan Rouhani, with tens of Baha’i shops in additional provinces subject to closure seal throughout the past year in other provinces besides Mazandaran.
These unlawful, persistent shop closures have, as intended, seriously impacted Baha’i citizens ability to make a living, subjecting the community to severe hardships. For example, “Arastoo Asadi”, one of the victims of these closures, has no choice but to work, under harsh conditions, in front of his sealed shop to in order to make ends meet.
In recent months, a marked increase in closures of Baha’i-owned shops has been reported. International organizations such as the United Nations as well as human rights activists have repeatedly published reports on the discrimination against Baha’is in Iran, which includes arrest and repression, denial of access to higher education, as well as closure of Baha’i-owned businesses.
According to the reports of the BIC (Baha’i International Community), in past 11 years, more than 860 Baha’is have been detained, and 275 Baha’is have been sentenced to serve time in prisons due to their Faith.
Several shops in Tonekabon and Nasharood have been sealed for more than a year. The owners’ names follow:
- Roohollah Ighani – Refrigerator repairs
- Michel Ismailpoor – Air Conditioning
- Khalil Naghipoor – Air Conditioning
- Sanaieh Kondi – Home Appliances
- Omid Ghaderi – Security and Alarms
Since May 2016, four more shops, forcibly closed by authorities, remain sealed at this time:
- Mehryar Lotfi – Home Appliances
- Jamaloddin Ismailpoor – Refrigerator repairs
- Mahvash Khazei – Furniture Store
- Soroosh Garshasbi – Home Appliances
Following is a list of Baha’i shops and businesses in Mazandaran that were recently sealed, due to being closed in observance of the anniversaries of the birth of the founders of the Baha’i Faith (the Bab and Baha’u’llah, 21st and 22nd of October)
Nowshahr
- Behshad Derakhshanian – Burglar alarm business
- Riazollah Heravi – Horology business
- Monib Mansour – Optometry
- Bahman Rohani – Photography shop
- Raki Yousefi – Optometry
- Arastou Aasadi – Welding business
- Arash Derakhshanian – Mechanic’s shop
Qaemshahr
- Fairborz Sabeti – Appliance repair
- Naim Samimi – Auto body shop
- Rezvaneh Samii – Garment store
- Akbar Goly – Confectionary Equipment
- Nima Miri – Cosmetics
- Fazel Asadi – Mobile repair
- Shayan Ghedami – Paint store
- Zekrollah Akbari – Welding business
- Shahin Akbari – Ironware
- Fariborz Sanaee – Plastic ware
- Zekrollah Babayee – Grocery
- Atrollah Movafagh – Refrigerator repair
- Daryoush Bakhtiari – Automobile studio
- Saeed Asadi – Auto repair
- Jalal Atayeean – Cosmetics
- Shahrokh Asadi – Refrigerator repair
- Zahra Golabian – Optometry
- Jhobin Yousefi – Burglar alarm business
- Sohrab Laghayee – Optometry
- Farzad Sabeti – Car alignment and oil change
- Changiz Derakhshanian and Nima Nokhah – Toy shop
- Kourosh Ahmadzadegan – Security systems
- Alaoddin Mirzayee – Security systems
- Hooman Rostami – Burglar alarm business
- Shahram and Shahrouz Zamani – Auto parts
- Soheil Haghdoost – Optometry
- Bahaoddin Samimi – Stationery store
- Behnam and Behdad Shirvani – Appliance repair
- Noorollah Ataeeyan – Motor winding business
- Bahram Safari – Electronics
- Soheil Ahmadzadegan – Glue industry
- Mehrpooya Fadee – Appliance repair
Sari
- Mansour Mehrchi – Cosmetics
- Zaatollah Darabi – Carpentry
- Sohrab Zahedi – Stationery store
- Saed Andokhs – Clothing
- Golverdi Movafaghi – Carpentry
- Nima Shabrokh – Cosmetics
- Yaghoub Akbari – Appliance repair
- Arman Safaee – Stationery store
- Aadel Samimi – Stationery store
- Noorgol Goly – Mechanic shop
- Farhad Rezghi – Cosmetics
- Kamaloddin Akbari – Woodturning
- Amaanollah Zahedi – Carpentry
- Kourosh Ahmadi – Engine tuning
- Kourosh Moradi – Carpentry
- Asghar Movafaghi – Carpentry
- Hossein Ahmadi – Carpentry
- Mehryar Ghanbari – Security systems installation
- Ziaollah Khoshbin – Paint store (commercial)
- Ashkan Khalili – Motor winding
- Naim Kamali – Appliance repair
- Ramin Moosavi – Building decoration
- Ehsan Sanaee – Cosmetics
- Bahman Zabihi – Fabrics and crafts store
- Behzad Zabihi – Eyeglasses store
- Shahriar Foroughian – Electric windings
- Behrouz Yousefi – Home appliances repair
- Vahid Golpour – Clothing
- Jahanbakhsh Movafaghi – Woodturning
- Mohammad Movafaghi – Carpentry
- Akbar Hosseini – Woodworking shop
- Ghavamoddin Sabetian – Carpentry
- Hesam Yousefi – Carpentry
- Zargham Zamani – Clothing
- Nima Mahinbakht – Security systems installation
- Pezhman Roshankoohi – Appliances store
- Shahram Nobakht – Appliances store
- Shahab Nobakht – Appliances store
- Aramesh Andokhs – Clothing
- Late Zekrollah Rahmanian – Optometry
Tonekabon
- Misagh Esmaeil Zadegan – Telephone repair
- Noushin Masoudian – Clothing
- Sirous Nasiri – Cabinet making
- Saleh Eshkevarian – Home appliances
- Sina Garshasbi – Home appliances
- Naeim Khalaj Abadi – Furniture manufacturing
Fereydunkenar
- Afshin Azadi – Clothing
Bahnemir
- Ahmad Nikounejad – Gas appliances (sale and repair)
- Feizollah Nikounejad – Bike repair
Amol
- Serrollah Hekmatshoar – Shopkeeper
- Afshin Sobati – Shoe store
- Dariush Talaee – Optometry
- Farshid Kian – Optometry
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