Source: www.hra-news.org
Translation by Iran Press Watch
The places of business for four Bahá’í citizens in the city of Urmia were sealed by officers from the Public Places Supervision Office. The sealing of these commercial units occurred after these Bahá’í citizens closed their shops in observance of one of their religious holidays.
According to information received by HRANA, on that day the following stores were sealed by officers from the Public Places Supervision Office:
A clothing store owned by Farāyez Rezāei
An electronics store owned by Enāyat Javāherdoost
A clothing store owned by Shiva Dehqān
A cooling equipment spare parts store owned by Shahāb Najafzādeh
A source close to these Bahá’í citizens told HRANA:
“On Thursday, which coincided with one of the Bahá’í holy days—when, according to their faith, they are required to close their businesses—these four individuals also closed their shops. However, that same day, their stores were sealed by officers from the Public Places Office. On Saturday, they went to the office to follow up, but the officers said that reopening the shops would only be possible with a judge’s order, and the timing for this is unclear.”
It is worth noting that in 2016, Mr. Javāherdoost’s previous business location had also been sealed. Additionally, Mr. Najafzādeh’s shop was sealed in 2017 by the same office, and the order to unseal it was issued only after 17 months, following a directive from the West Azerbaijan Province Security Council.
Bahá’í citizens, in accordance with their religious observances, close their businesses for a total of nine days a year. However, this practice has at times prompted responses from law enforcement and security agencies, leading to the sealing of their places of business. Human rights organizations have criticized such actions as being in violation of the constitutional principles and civil rights regarding religious freedom and the regulation of commercial establishments.
This is despite the fact that, according to Clause “B” of Article 28 of the Commercial Regulation Law, business owners are permitted to close their shops for up to 15 days per year without prior notice to their trade union.
According to the annual statistical report by the Center for Statistics, Publications, and Works of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, between January 1 and December 20, 2024, 157 reports were recorded in the category of religious and faith-based minority rights violations. Among these, Bahá’ís were the subject of 67.54% of the reports, making them the most targeted group according to human rights monitors.
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