Simultaneous Arrest of 14 Baha'i Citizens in Iran

Baha'i community news sources in Iran report the simultaneous arrest of 14 Baha'is on the evening of Wednesday, October 7, in the city of Shiraz. Baha'i News Agency has reported that these 14 Baha'i citizens were transferred to an 'unknown location' after their arrest. An informed source stated that security agents, despite lacking 'legal permission to enter the homes of these individuals, arrested them after entering their residences.' The names of the 14 arrested individuals are: Shamin Akhlaghi, Soheila Farahbakhsh, Soheila Moslehi, Ahdiyeh Enayati, Mahyar Safidi, Shadi Sadegh Aghdam, Varaq Kavyani, Maryam Islami, Soroush Eyghani, Marjan and Mojgah Gholampour, Farid and Farzad Shadman, and Parisa Rouhizadegan. Baha'i News also reported that the shops of four Baha'is in the auto parts market in Karaj were sealed by agents from the public places department. According to this report, the sealing of these shops occurred on Thursday, October 8, and 'only due to the owners' belief in the Baha'i faith.' Officials of the Islamic Republic typically refer to the Baha'i faith as a 'deviant sect' and act against its followers. An unspecified number of followers of this faith have been imprisoned, denied education, lost their jobs, or even executed since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. This new wave of repression against Baha'is in Iran comes less than a month after the Baha'i International Community based in Geneva, Switzerland, sent an open letter to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, urging him to end the 'economic oppression of Baha'is' in Iran. The Baha'i International Community criticized the 'economic apartheid' against Baha'is in Iran and accused the Islamic Republic officials of 'deliberate policies' and 'organized discrimination' against the followers of this faith. The U.S. House of Representatives also condemned the persecution of Baha'is and other human rights violations in Iran in a resolution issued about a week ago.