Arrest of Mojgan Salmanzadeh, Bahá'í Researcher, in Makoo

Radio Farda has learned that Mojgan Salmanzadeh, a Bahá'í activist and researcher in the field of physiological psychology, has been arrested in the city of Makoo in West Azerbaijan. Informed sources told Radio Farda that Ms. Salmanzadeh, who resides in Tehran, was arrested by security agencies on Thursday, July 14, after traveling to Makoo and staying in the city for two weeks. A relative of this Bahá'í researcher told Radio Farda that Ms. Salmanzadeh 'recently lost her parents and had started traveling to cope with her loneliness.' Last week, Mojgan Salmanzadeh informed her relatives that she had been transferred to a general ward. Reports indicate that despite promises from judicial authorities to set bail for Ms. Salmanzadeh's temporary release, this has not yet occurred. Evidence and reports received by Radio Farda show that systematic pressure from security agencies on Bahá'ís has increased alongside the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, particularly in terms of security confrontations, discrimination, deprivation of basic citizenship rights, and direct pressure on detained Bahá'í protesters and activists. The annual human rights report by the U.S. State Department and the report from the Commission on International Religious Freedom recently described the ongoing violations of the most fundamental rights of Bahá'ís in Iran as part of a 'targeted' approach by the ruling government, labeling it a matter of 'particular concern.' The Islamic Republic of Iran does not recognize the Bahá'í faith, and judicial authorities have repeatedly labeled Bahá'ís as 'spies and enemies,' issuing death sentences, arrests, imprisonment, and deprivation of education and employment against them.