Two Yarsan Civil Activists Deprived of Family and Lawyer Visits 50 Days After Arrest

On Sunday, July 9, the human rights organization "Hangaw" reported the continued detention of two civil activists and followers of the Yarsan faith, Farhad Zalnouri and Fariborz Shah-Abrahimi, nearly 50 days after their arrest. According to Hangaw, these well-known activists from the city of Sahneh, currently held in Dizelabad prison in Kermanshah, have been deprived of visits with their families and chosen lawyers, and have not even had phone contact with their families. Hangaw, citing "sources close to these two families," added that the charges against Seyyed Farhad Zalnouri and Seyyed Fariborz Shah-Abrahimi by security agencies include "participation in murder" through a protest speech at the memorial ceremony for the late Seyyed Khalil Alinajad, a Kurdish artist and a prominent figure of the Yarsan faith. Farhad Zalnouri and Fariborz Shah-Abrahimi were arrested on Tuesday, May 31, this year, at their homes by intelligence forces "without presenting any legal documents and using violence." Their arrest occurred after a change of the case judge and the cancellation of the bail order by the new judge.