New York, July 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — More than 20 Baha’is in Shiraz, Tehran, Yazd and Bojnourd, have been arrested, jailed or subjected to home searches and business closures since the beginning of July. Last month 44 Baha’is were arrested, arraigned or imprisoned, suggesting an escalating crisis in the Iranian government’s systematic campaign against the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, and the Baha’i International Community (BIC) believes that this month’s cases now confirm the crisis.
“The Baha’is have experienced continuous persecution for their beliefs over the last 44 years,” said Bani Dugal, the BIC’s Principal Representative to the United Nations. “But the present acceleration is beyond troubling: dozens of Baha’is have been arrested or tried or jailed over the last few weeks and there is no end in sight. The warnings that we have been issuing for many months are now coming to pass. Iran’s government must immediately honor its human rights obligations, and their responsibilities to all Iranians, by ceasing this persecution without delay.”
- In Yazd, on 20 July, it was reported that Mr Nematollah Shadpour, Mr Nima Shadpour and Mr Shafigh Eslami, were arrested after being summoned to the judicial authorities and taken to an unknown place. The homes and places of business of the three were searched and some personal belongings were confiscated.
- In Shiraz, on 19 July, it was reported that Ms Niloufar…
