Detention and Summoning of Several Baha'i Citizens in Various Provinces of Iran by the Islamic Republic

Reports indicate that three weeks after the onset of nationwide protests in Iran, the mass detention of citizens continues across various provinces. The Ministry of Intelligence announced the detention or summoning of 25 Baha'i citizens in the provinces of Tehran, Kerman, Razavi Khorasan, Yazd, Sistan and Baluchestan, Alborz, Kermanshah, and Mazandaran, claiming without evidence that their charges relate to activities during the recent protests. The Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that 12 Baha'is were detained and 13 others summoned. Tasnim claimed that these individuals played a significant role in burning mosques, attacking government facilities, and inciting people to attack police and military centers; accusations for which no evidence or documentation was provided. The judiciary of the Islamic Republic has previously made similar accusations against protesting citizens, which have led to heavy sentences after obtaining forced confessions. The Ministry of Intelligence also stated that since the beginning of this year, 45 Baha'i citizens have been identified and detained on 'security' charges. The statement did not mention the identities of those detained, their status, or the judicial process they are undergoing. Baha'i citizens in Iran have faced various forms of repression, threats, and discrimination for over four decades. Dozens of Baha'is were executed in the early days following the 1979 revolution due to their religious beliefs, and many have faced summons and detention over the past 47 years. Additionally, Baha'is in Iran face other forms of systematic pressure and discrimination, including bans on employment in government offices, exclusion from higher education, destruction of cemeteries, and closure of their businesses. The Islamic Republic does not recognize the Baha'i faith in its laws and has accused many of them over the past four decades of 'connections with Israel', 'conspiracy against national security', and 'propaganda against the regime'; accusations that the Baha'i community worldwide rejects, emphasizing that Baha'is in Iran are continuously targeted solely due to their religious beliefs. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the repression and security pressures on Baha'is in Iran, accusing Islamic Republic officials of violating the right to freedom of belief and religion. The United Nations has also stated that the repression of Baha'is and their deprivation of citizenship rights contradicts the global commitments of the Islamic Republic under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights regarding the right to freedom of belief and religion; a covenant that considers the right to freedom of belief and religion as one of the fundamental human rights, of which Iran has been a member since 1975. While internet blackouts have lasted for 240 hours and many provinces remain disconnected from the outside world, international organizations have warned that this deliberate policy is an attempt to conceal the extent of the massacre of protesters and prevent citizens from accessing information freely. Recently, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has repeatedly expressed his explicit support for Iranian protesters, warning of the massacre of protesters by the Islamic Republic and its repressive apparatus, stating that if protesters are executed, the United States will take 'very decisive actions'. Following these warnings from President Trump to the Islamic Republic, the U.S. President on Friday, January 26, expressed gratitude for the cancellation of planned executions in Iran through a message on his Truth Social account. However, on Saturday, January 27, 2025, he told Politico that the 'Ayatollah' is guilty for 'completely destroying his country' and that 'it is time to seek new leadership in Iran.' He stated about Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, that 'his sin as the leader of a country is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before.' He added, 'For the country to continue its operations, even if this performance is at a very low level, leadership must focus on properly managing its country - like what I am doing with the United States - and not kill thousands to maintain its power.' The killing of the owner of the famous 'Kebab Mehdi' restaurant in Rasht by repressive agents condemned the Islamic Republic and the bloody suppression of the protests by American lawmakers. President Trump predicted that the Islamic Republic would fall due to the protests. International reactions to the popular protests in Iran and the crimes of the Islamic Republic continue. President Trump stated: 'It is time to seek new leadership in Iran.' Amnesty International warned about the establishment of a security-military atmosphere in Iranian cities to prevent gatherings. A report from Voice of America highlighted the role of the Islamic Republic's proxy groups in the bloody suppression of protests in Iran. Shoaleh Pakrovan: Prove that Erfan Soltani is healthy. The White House: Stopping 800 executions in Iran; all options remain on the table for Donald Trump. Senator Lindsey Graham: I will travel to Israel to support 'standing against evil' and 'supporting the people who sacrifice for freedom.'