Arrestation of 6 Bahais and 10 Christian converts in Iran
Iran Human Rights, May 24: After arrestation of 6 people belonging to the Baha’i faith on May 13. and 14, there are reports about detention of several Christians in the past days. The Christians have all converted from Islam.
Arrestation of the Baha’i members: On May 15. the Baha’i Worlds news service reported: "Six Bahá’í leaders in Iran were arrested and taken to the notorious Evin prison May 14 in a sweep that is ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Bahá’í leaders were summarily rounded up and killed. The six men and women, all members of the national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Bahá’ís in Iran, were in their homes Wednesday morning when government intelligence agents entered and spent up to five hours searching each home, before taking them away.
The seventh member of the national coordinating group was arrested in early March in Mashhad after being summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence office there on an ostensibly trivial matter."
According to the news website those arrested on May 14. were: Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All live in Tehran. Arrested in Mashhad on 5 March 2008 was Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, who also resides in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was summoned to Mashhad by the Ministry of Intelligence.
Amnesty International published a document about the arrestation and EU and US and Canadian State departments have condemned the arrestation.
The Iranian authoritie’s spokesman Elham told the reporters on Tuesday May 20. that the six Baha’is were jailed on security charges. The leaders of the Baha’i faith announced on Thursday May 22 that the Bahai’s are being persecuted by Iran’s government for their religious beliefs.
Arrestation of the Christian converts: According to a report published by the "human Rights Activities in Iran" ten Christians, who all were convertees, have been arrested on May 11. and 14. in Shiraz. Four of them identified as Homayoun Shokoohi Gholamzadeh, Fariba Nazemianpour, Amir Hossein Bab Anaari and Fatemeh Shenasa were arrested at the Shiraz airport, while Hamid Ala’adin Hossein was arrested at home along with his three children Fatemeh Ala’addin Hossein, Mohammad Ali Ala’addin Hossein and Mojtaba Ala’adin Hossein. Two other Christian convertees identified as Mahmood Mateen and Arash Pendari were arrested on May 13. while walking in a Park in Shiraz. Homayoun Shokoohi Gholamzadeh, Mojtaba Ala’adin Hossein, Mahmood Mateen and Arash Pendari are still in detention. It is not clear under what charges they are being held. The others have been released on bails within hours to days after their arrestation.
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