Jinous Sabhani, Baha'i Human Rights Activist, 'Arrested and Released'

The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center reported that Jinous Sabhani, a Baha'i citizen and former secretary of the Human Rights Defenders Center, was arrested in Tehran on the evening of April 11. Shortly after, informed sources reported her release. According to the report from the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, security agents visited Ms. Sabhani's home, arrested her, and transferred her to an unknown location. There is no information available regarding the detaining agency or the possible charges against Ms. Sabhani. Security agents also seized personal belongings, including Ms. Sabhani's laptop and mobile phone. Jinous Sabhani was previously arrested on January 14, 2009, after the Human Rights Defenders Center was shut down and was released on bail of 70 million tomans. Until the closure of the Human Rights Defenders Center, she served as its secretary and was also involved in the 'Mine Clearance Participation Center.' Following a raid by security forces on the Human Rights Defenders Center in Iran on January 1, 2009, and its subsequent closure, Jinous Sabhani was arrested at her home. Artin Ghazanfari, Jinous Sabhani's husband, was also arrested after protests against the presidential election in 2009, along with several other Baha'i citizens, and was sentenced to one year in prison. Since the 1979 Revolution in Iran, hundreds of Baha'is have been arrested, and some have been executed. Notably, in 2009, several leaders of the Baha'i community, including Afif Naimi, Fariba Kamalabadi, Mahvash Sahayari, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaleddin Khanjani, Saeed Rezaei, and Behrouz Tavakoli, were arrested. Afif Naimi was the last imprisoned member of the Baha'i community's leadership, released after 10 years in prison on December 21, 2018. In recent years, Baha'i citizens in Iran have faced not only arrests and prison sentences but also employment restrictions, shop closures, and deprivation of education.