At Least 7 Baha’i Citizens Arrested in Bushehr

Source: www.hra-news.org

Translation by Iran Press Watch

HRANA News Agency – This morning, At least seven individuals were detained during a coordinated security forces raids to homes and workplaces of several Bahá’i citizens in Bushehr.

According to the HRANA News Agency, the human rights activists’ news agency in Iran, on the morning of February 13, 2017, around 7:30 a.m., security forces performing a coordinated operation arrested at least seven Baha’i citizens in Bushehr province and transferred them to an unknown location.

The detainees are Minoo Riyazati, Asadollah Jaberi, Ehteram Shakhi (Asadollah Jaberi’s wife), Emad Jaberi, Farideh Jaberi, Legha Faramarzi and Puneh Nasheri.

Most of the arrests occurred out as security forces performed full house searches, confiscating personal belongings such as laptops, books, flash drives, external hard drives, and family.

It is said that Mr. Asadollah Jaberi and his wife, Mrs. Ehteram Shakhi were detained at their place of work.

No information is available on the reasons for the arrests or what charges have resulted. No information had been provided by the detaining organization at the time of this report.

Baha’i citizens in Iran are deprived of religious freedoms, and exluded from higher education and many forms of employment. This systematic persecution is carried out in direct violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.”

According to unofficial sources in Iran, there are more than three hundred thousand Baha’is, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism and does not recognize the Baha’i Faith. The Regime uses this to justify the systematic and ongoing violation of Baha’is rights in Iran.