Karan Vafadari to Zoroastrians: Do Not Expect Respect for Citizen Rights in Iran

Karan Vafadari, a Zoroastrian citizen with dual nationality, has described his sentence of 27 years in prison, 124 lashes, and over 9 billion rials in fines, as "unjust" and "oppressive" in a letter published by the Iran Human Rights Campaign website. His wife, Afrin Nissari, has also been sentenced to 16 years in prison. In his letter, Vafadari warns his fellow Zoroastrians in Iran that they should not expect respect for citizen rights. Karan Vafadari and his wife were arrested in Tehran during the summer of 2016. The letter mentions that the arresting authority and the body pursuing their charges is the IRGC Intelligence Organization. Vafadari explains the dimensions of his and his wife's case and advises others against making similar mistakes. Karan Vafadari holds dual Iranian-American citizenship and states that he is the first Iranian to have Article 989 of the Civil Code, enacted in 1924, applied in his case. This article addresses citizenship and conditions for renouncing it, stating that one condition for renouncing citizenship is that the individual must transfer their rights to immovable properties in Iran to Iranian citizens within a year. Vafadari notes that the application of this legal article in his case means that all dual-national Zoroastrians face the constant risk of losing their properties and being forced to leave the country. In part of his letter, he protests the handling of his and his wife's case and offers recommendations to Zoroastrians. He first warns them not to produce wine at home, stating he believed it was permissible for Zoroastrian minorities, who have had wine in their culture for over 5,000 years. However, his 27-year prison sentence included a year and a half for wine production, 74 lashes, and a fine of 140 million tomans. His second recommendation is to not accept alcoholic beverages as gifts from friends and foreign diplomats, noting that three years in prison and a 6 billion rial fine in his case are related to these charges. The third warning he gives is regarding hosting parties, even for national celebrations such as Chaharshanbe Suri, Sadeh, and even birthdays, which he states could be considered "promoting immorality" and could lead to a 15-year prison sentence for "spreading corruption and prostitution". Vafadari also emphasizes that Zoroastrian citizens should not expect their representative in the Islamic Consultative Assembly to pursue their cases. According to the Iran Human Rights Campaign website, Karan Vafadari comes from a wealthy Zoroastrian family, and the Firouzgar Hospital is one of the family's assets, which has been endowed to the Iranian community. He is educated in the United States, holding degrees in electronic engineering and management. Afrin Nissari is an architecture graduate and managed the "An" art gallery in Tehran with her husband.