(RAHANA 6 Jan 2011) Two arrests, a conviction and a summons order are the recent pressures of Islamic Republic on Baha’i citizens living in Iran.
In continuing the trend of increased persecution on Baha’is in Mazandaran, Mahin Taj Rouhani who is a Baha’i citizen in Sari city, was arrested on Saturday, January 1st.
This arrest was done after searching her house completely by security officials in Sari city.
She had previously been summoned by a phone call to the Ministry of Intelligence on December 19th. She had been summoned under the pretext of answering some questions at the Ministry of Intelligence for not having the documents of her mobile SIM card. She failed to show up since the authorities’ claim was false and the summons order had been unofficial and had been communicated to her orally. She was threatened along with her husband after she failed to show up.
On December 25, 2010, Seven of the Sari city Intelligence agents stormed to her house. They had a search warrant and proceeded to search her home and also confiscated some equipments such as books and pictures related to Baha’i faith, computer case, satellite dish and receiver, cassette tapes, and family CDs.
The officers also forced her to promise that she will appear at the Ministry of intelligence on December 29th.
Baha’i Citizen Artin Ghazanfari Began Serving Sentence
One year has passed since his initial arrest. Ghazanfari who had been transferred to the Evin Prison along with nine more Baha’i citizens on January 3, 2010, has to serve his prison sentence. Although he had to begin serving his sentence on January 3rd, he was able to postpone it for one month since he is under treatment for acute pulmonary disease. He caught the disease during his confinement in Evin and Rajaei Shahr Prisons.
After the events of Ashura last year, Artin Ghazanfari was arrested by the security forces in Tehran and his house was searched. His wife, Jinous Sobhani was arrested along with him. His family was concerned about his condition since he was held incommunicado. He was not even allowed to be with his family during the Iranian New year. After three months In Evin and Rajaei Shahr prisons, he was released for a week on April 3, 2010. Once more, he was confined in Evin until April 18th and was finally released on a $50,000 bail. His trial was held in April and he was sentenced to one year of imprisonment.
His lung disease which has not cured since last year is maily due to difficult and unsanitary conditions of Evin and Rajaei Shahr Prisons.
Detention of Baha’i citizen Masrour Fazli
Masrour Fazli, a Baha’i living in Urmia, has been arrested on the thirty-first of December 2010.
Moreover, Shiva Karimi, Homeira Parvizi and Navid Morghi three Bahae’i living in Urmia had been arrested after security forces raided, searched and confiscated some their personal belongings.
In recent weeks, pressure on the Baha’is in different cities of country has intensified. Since the beginning of January, Mahin Taj Rowhani, Roya Ghanbari in Sary city and Adib Hagh Pejou in Shiraz were arrested by security forces after their houses were searched. Shole Taef, a Baha’i living in Semnan was summoned for serving her one year prison sentence term.
Anisa Safaryan, a Baha’i expelled student of Elmo San’at University of Babolsar city, was also arrested when her house was searched and some of her personal belongings were confiscated by the security forces and so far she has been able to call her family only once.
Fouad Khanjani was sentenced to four years of imprisonment
Fouad Khanjani was arrested on the twenty-seventh of April, 2010 after being summoned to the office of Ministry of Intelligence. He had already been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence on the second of March, 2010. He had also received similar orders twice.
He had already been expelled from Industrial Management of Esfahan due to his belief in the Baha’i faith.
Fouad Khanjani is the son of Ala’adin Khanjani who had previously been arrested, the brother of Lava Khanjani(Mobasher) who has been sentenced to two years of imprisonment and the grandson of Jamaloddin Khanjani , one of the seven former leaders of the Baha’i community.
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Source: http://www.rahana.org/en/?p=9128
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