Increased Baha’i Arrests

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Translated by Ahang Rabbani

While seven prominent Baha’is who previously served as coordinators of Baha’i activities in Tehran, three Baha’i youth in Shiraz and a number of other Baha’is throughout the country continue to remain imprisoned, a new wave of arrests of Baha’is has been enveloping the nation in recent times.

According to reports received, on 18 October 2008, two Baha’is of Behshahr [capital of the province of Mazandaran], by the names of Mr. Tarazu’llah (Zia) Allah-Verdi and Mrs. Sonya Tebyanian, were arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on charges of “propaganda against Islam” and “contact with the Universal House of Justice (the religious center of the Baha’is)”. At the present time, these two Baha’is continue to be incarcerated in the prison-cells of the Intelligence Ministry in Sari under unknown conditions. Moreover, even though the responsible authorities had agreed to release these individuals a week ago, this has not occurred as yet.

Similarly, Mr. Siyamak Ibrahimi, who is one of the Baha’is of Tonekabon [in the province of Mazandaran] and who was arrested two years ago and released when he provided a surety, was illegally arrested again on 4 November 2008. After his trial, the court sentenced him to a 6 months “reduced” sentence and two years of subsequent exile in the town of Zabol [in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan].

Also we have received reports that in recent days three Baha’is have been arrested in the town of Yasuj, but have not received information on their identity or their present condition. [A detailed report on these arrests has been posted on Iran Press Watch – translator.]

[The above report was posted on Iran Press News on Saturday, 15 November 2008, at http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/049348.htm and appears above in translation.]

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