Autumn report of violation against followers of religions in Iran –2019

Tables Preparation: Hamidreza Taghipoor Dehghan Tabrizi

Data Compiler: Hadi Dartomi, Mohammad Hossein Malaei Barzi, Mohammad Aftabi

Translation: Alireza Jahan Bin

Article 18 (The right to freedom of opinion)

Everyone has the right of freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19 (The right to freedom of expression)

Everyone has the right of freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

This report consists of statistical information about violation against the rights of followers of other religions in Iran in summer 2019. This report has been presented statistically-analytically.

It is obvious that because of strict actions of Islamic Republic of Iran with the Human Rights activists especially in observation and reporting the Human Rights violations and also deprivation of free circulation of information and constantly refusal of Iran`s government to recognize an independent domain in civil activities, at the present time, reporting is very difficult and dangerous for many reporters and activists (whom are in prison or custody) and are facing a lot of limits.

The pressure on followers of other religions still continues:

The current authorities in Iran and its leaders are believing that some religious groups are the enemies of the country, because their religious beliefs may challenge the loyalty to the regime and under the pretext of preserving national and political security, they suppress the religious activities of other religions followers.

Detentions and targeted violence against the followers of other religions in Iran still continues by the security and judicial organizations of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In Iran, citizens on the basis of religion beliefs are divided into two official and non-official categories.

The Baha`i religion is one of the non-official religions in Iran which is under more pressures rather than other religions. The Baha`is are deprived of performing ritual rites, propagating their religion and teaching and educating in higher educational levels. At the present time, hundreds of Baha’i citizens are suffering from long prison terms in different jails of the country, including Semnan, Mashhad, Tehran, Karaj and other cities of Iran.

Official religions like Christianity have faced great limitations. The government only recognizes the Assyrian Christians, Armenian and Chaldean worships, preaching the gospel to Iranian is a crime, the Persian language people are forbidden to enter the churches, and churches are tasked to submit their members names to the Ministry of Intelligence, along with copies of their national identification card.

Based on the Article 13 and 26 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran Christianity in a recognized religion, and the right to pray or build a community has been given to the Christians but confrontation with the Protestant Christians who are believing in the gospel of their religion still continues, and domestic churches are facing widespread suppression.

Religious discrimination is strictly enforcing against the Sunni Muslims. They mostly are living in the boarder sides of the country, and are deprived of the right to build mosques and their religious rituals like Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha prayer in central areas as well as Tehran.

Even in some cases the destruction of the Sunni Mosques has been reported and These people are dealing with execution, detention and persecution. They are prohibited from hiring in governmental organizations. A prominent example is the Bijan Zolfaghar Nasab who was appointed to the Minister of Sports in the Hassan Rouhani government, but because he is Sunni they did not give him the vote to be selected for this position.

Sunni:

Sunnis are seeking the security and brotherhood, they expect to have the religious liberty and this is the demand of every member of the Sunni community.  It is expected that the Sunni community in the great cities of the country, like Isfahan and other cities, can pray freely and educate their children. This expectation is perfectly legal.

The right to build the mosques in any city or have the freedom for Friday and Eid prayers or have the complete freedom, are completely legal and they do not have a lot of demands. The Sunnis are believing that their right should be consider and that no one would be deprived of their rights for religion beliefs, because respecting the rights of the people causes unity and closeness.

Because of religious propaganda the Sunni prisoners are convicted with charges of action against national security, they have the sentence of combat against GOD, they are spending their conviction time in jail and in an inappropriate space and constantly being insulted by the prison officers and guards because of their opinions.

Article 20 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran stresses that based on the rules of Islam, all Iranian citizens are equal. However, along with other religions in Iran, the constitution has failed to ensure equality for more than three decades to guarantee the rights of citizens. Sunni followers in Iran are in the same condition, even though they are Muslims. They are deprived not only, of the management responsibilities of the country and military but also, equal opportunities and facilities. They are facing strict obstacles and constraints to publicize their beliefs and to perform their religious rites from the Iranian government.

In These Months:

• Based on Human Rights in Iran: on October 20^th, Mohammad Osman Damani, resident of Iranshahr, who was arrested by the intelligence forces, released conditionally on 100 million toman bail.
• Based on Herana: Jamshid Perouti, Suni prisoner, is serving his 5 years of discretionary custody.
• Based on Human’s right report in Iran: on September 29th, Ebrahim Balouch, the Sunni Religion activist, was arrested by the intelligence forces and moved to an unknown place.
• Based on Balooch activist campaign: on September 25th, Molavi Yousef Srbazi, the Sunni Religion activist, summoned to Rask Intelligence department and interrogated for 5 hours.
• Based on Herana: on September 26th, Molavi Abdolmalek Aramesh, summoned to Rask Intelligence department and interrogated for 3 hours.
• Based on Herana: Tohid Ghoreishi, the Sunni Prisoner of Rajai Shahr prison, condemned to 16 years of imprisonment by the Revolutionary court.
• Based on Human’s right report: on November 9th, Molavi Ebrahim Habashi, the Sunni clergy, arrested and moved to an unknown place.
• Based on Human’s right report: on December 15th, Rahmatollah Pakzad, the Sunni prisoner of Rajaei Shahr prison, transported to hospital because of the aggressive behavior of the prison guard (Naseri) and his physical condition is critical.
• Based on Human’s right report in Iran: on December 9th, Hafez Ataollah Siriazehi and Molavi Karim Bakhsh Kouhi, tutors of the religious school and Shakil Ahmad Dashtiari Sunni Religious activist summoned to the Zahedan intelligence department via phone call and were interrogated.
• Based on Human’s right report in Iran: on November 4th, Abdolhamid Berem, Sunni Religious activist, resident of Chabahar, was arrested and moved to an unknown place.
• Based on Balouch Activists Campaign: Molavi Fazlolrahman Kouhi, summoned to the Religious court of Mashhad.
• Based on Human’s right report in Iran: on December 6th, Molavi Ali Safar Zehi, Sunni Religious activist, resident of Ali Abad Katoul, prisoner of Central prison of Zahedan, sentenced to 2 years of discretionary custody due to the political charges.

The statistical report of violations against the Sunni People:

Baha`i:

Iran, a country that many Baha`is are living in, The Baha’i is still considered as an “apostate sect” in Iran. It is well known that Baha`is are seeking the peace, they do not want political power and do not pose the security threat. However, the Iranian religious regime pursues them. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, methodically Baha`is were deprived of access to higher education levels as well as employment rights, and if they persevere in claim for their lost rights, they will face the false accusations, imprisonment and intimidation, and always have been exposed to arbitrary arrests and imprisonment. They have never been able to follow their religious instructions in public. They are being abused almost all the way of their life.

It is not possible to transfer the knowledge and human experience, except through specific trainings. And so the right to education is one of the fundamental human rights which has been mentioned in Articles 26 and 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Articles 13, 14 and 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, that everyone has the right to educate  without discrimination based on distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. The Iranian government is obliged to provide all essential facilities for enjoyment of all citizens from this natural right and also should remove any kind of obstacles based on geographical, political, economic and cultural conditions in order to provide these fundamental rights.

Prohibition of work and business is another strain and harassment that the Baha`is are facing in society. In most of the provinces, the Public Places Surveillance Authority which is affiliated with the Police Force, without any permission is sealing their businesses places.

In these months:

• Based on Herana: on October 21st, Forsati Pour, Baha`i citizen of Gilavand, had been arrested and moved to Evin prison by the Intelligence forces.
• Based on Human Rights Report: on October 21st, Kiana Shoaei, Forouzan Masoumi and Soroush Abadi, Baha`i citizens of Shiraz, had been arrested at their houses and their house were inspected by the intelligence forces and their phones, laptops, Pc and 2 Baha`i religion portrait were confiscated.
• Based on Human’s right report in Iran: on October 14th, Foujhan Rashidi, Baha`i prisoner of central prison of Isfahan, who was sentenced 4 years of imprisonment, has been released after passing one third of her serving time.
• Based on Human Rights Report: on October 7th, Neda Sabeti, Noushin Afshar and Forough Farzane, 3 Baha`i citizens of Abadan, each one has been sentenced to 1 year of discretionary custody.
• Based on Human’s right report in Iran: on October 7th, Sima Behrouzi Mehdi Abadi, Baha`i citizen of Yazd, sentenced to 3 months of discretionary custody.
• Based on Herana: on September 27th, the house of 4 Baha`i citizens of Tehran and Karaj were inspected by the intelligence forces and some of their properties were confiscated and 2 of these citizens has been arrested
• Based on Human’s right report in Iran: on September 27th, Abas Taef, Baha`i citizen of Tehran was arrested after the invasion and inspection of intelligence forces to his house and work office.
• Based on Human’s right report: on on September 27th, Ehsan Allah Ayadi, Baha`i citizen of Tehran, after the invasion and inspection of intelligence forces to his house, some of his personal properties like identification certificates, passport, religious books, Baha`i religion portraits, hard disk and 4 mobile phones of him and his family were confiscated.
• Based on Harana: Yalda Firouzian is still keeping in the solitary cell after 5 months of her arrest.
• Based on Harana: on September 26^th, Farhang Sahba, Baha`i citizen of Isfahan, moved to one the Sepah`s solitary cells.
• Based on Herana: Sama Khanjani has been deprived of completing her education.
• Based on human rights report: on November 9th, the 5 years of discretionary custody order of Samin Maghsoudi, Baha`i citizen of Tehran, has been approved by court of appeal.
• Based on human rights report: on November 9th, the court of Kiyana Rezvani and Kimia Mostafavi, two Baha`i citizen of Kerman, held at this city.
• Based on human rights report: on October 23rd, Ardeshir Fanaeian, Yalda Firouzian and Behnam Eskandarian, 3 Baha`i citizens of Semnan, in sequence had been sentenced to 10 years of discretionary custody and 1 year of deprivation of entering to Semnan and 1 year of exiling to Khash, and as for Yalda Firouzian and Behnam Eskandarian, 5 years of discretionary custody and 2 years of deprivation of entering to Semnan.
• Based on human rights report: on October 29th, after the invasion of intelligence forces to the annual religious ceremony of Baha`i`s prophet birthday, some of Baha`i citizens like Shahriar Atrian and Poulad Karami has been arrested.
• Based on human rights report: on October 30^th, work places of Behrouz Gholamrezaei, Shamim and Habib Allah Tohidi, Ahmad Ali Shokati, Behzad Gholamrezaei, Bahman Gholamrezaei and at least 5 other Baha`i citizens of Chabahar has been sealed by the Police forces.
• Based on human rights report: on October 28th, the residential place of Jamal Sabet, Baha`i citizen of karaj was invaded and inspected by security forces during a family ceremony and after confiscation of some of his personal properties like phone and laptop, he had been arrested and moved to an unknown place.
• Based on human rights report: on October 26th, the cemetery of Baha`i citizens known as ‘Golestan Javid” has been destroyed by unknown people.
• Based on human rights report: on November 21st, Poone Nasheri, Minoo Riazati, Asadollah Jaberi, Ehteram Sheikhi (spouse of Asadollah Jabri), Emad Jaberi and Farrokhlegha Faramarzi, Baha`i citizens of Boushehr, each one sentenced to 3 years of years of discretionary custody and the court of appeal approved the exact order.
• Based on human rights report: on November 16th, Naser Rajab, Baha`i citizen of Karaj, has been arrested after the invasion of 7 security forces to his house without any inspection warrant.
• Based on human rights report: on December 20th, Noushin Hakimi, Baha`i citizen of Bandar Lenge, who was arrested at her house after invasion of intelligence forces, has been moved from detention center of intelligence center to Bandar Abas prison.
• Based on Herana, Rouha Imani, Baha`i citizen of Kerman, moved from Kerman prison to Yazd prison.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran, December 9th, Naser Rajab, Baha`i citizen of Karaj has been released conditionally and temporarily on 150 million toman bail.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: Esmaeil Farzane and his brother Bardia Farzane, Baha`i citizens of Omidie, has been released conditionally and temporarily on bail.
• Based on Harna: Mojhgan Ahmadzade (Fadaei), Baha`i citizen of Qaemshahr, has been sentenced to 6 months of discretionary custody by the revolutionary court of this city.
• Based on Herana: on December 7^th, the second session of appeal court of Amrollah Khaleghian, Ehsan Allah Amiri Nia, Nima Rajab Zade and Arman Bandi Amir Abad, was held at appeal court of Kerman.
• Based on Herana: on December 2^nd, Kimia Mostafavi and Kiana Rezvani, two Bahai citizens in Kerman were sentenced to 6 months of discretionary custody due to their anti-regime activities.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on December 5^th, Ali Ahmadi, Baha`i political prisoner of Qaemshahr, has been sentenced to 11 years of discretionary custody.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on December 2<sup>nd</sup>, Fariba Ashtari, Baha`i citizen of Yazd and former political prisoner, has been arrested and her house has been inspected after the invasion of security forces and after that moved to an unknown place. There is no vivid news about her condition.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on December 3rd, Hasan Momtaz Sarvestani, Baha`i citizen and religious prisoner of Evin prison, who was sentenced to 5 years of discretionary custody due to his activities in Internet university of Baha`is, has been released conditionally.
• Based on Harana: Kimia Pour Sadeghi and Nasim Shoghi, two Baha`i citizens of Zahedan, has been arrested and moved to an unknown place by the intelligence forces.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: December 1st, Forouzan Masoumi, Baha`i citizen of Shiraz, has been released conditionally and temporarily on 200 million toman bail.
• Based on Herana: December 2nd, Soroush Abadi, Baha`i citizen of Shiraz, has been released on bail.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on November 30th, Soroush Azadi and Bardia Farzane, Bahae`i citizens of Isfahan and Omidie, have been arrested and moved to an unknown place after the invasion of intelligence forces to their houses.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on November 29th, Homa Manouchehr Zade, Shahab Ferdosian, Saghar Manouchehr Zade, Nasim Jaberi, Mehran allah Dadi, Ghodous Lotfi, Shahbaz Basi, Vahide Niazmand and Naser Lotfi, Bahae`i citizens of Isfahan, have been arrested and moved to an unknown place after the synchronous invasion of intelligence forces to their houses. There is no vivid news about their condition.
• Based on Harana: on November 27th, there is no vivid news about the condition of Naser Rajab after passing 12 days of his detention.
• Based on human’s rights report in Iran: on November 25th, Abas Taef, Baha`i citizen of Tehran, has been released conditionally and temporarily on bail.

The statistical report of violations against the Baha`i People:

Christians:

The Islamic Republic is trying to destroy the Christianity, and this is a bitter fact about the violations against the Christians rights. Christians, who have been charged and sentenced to persecution by the Islamic Republic because of their heresy and religious conversion.

Violation against the Christian rights is increasing in the Islamic Countries and many of them are facing the racial harassment on a daily basis.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, a numerous number of Christians are jailed for religious conversion and religious activities. Currently, according to the human rights organizations in Iran, a large number of well-known Christians are in prison for offences such as preaching the gospel, or teaching and distributing the Bible or other citizens who are convicted of spying and many rights of Christian neophytes have been violated, they have been punished, persecuted, sentenced to the imprisonment or penalties like whip only because of some of their religious rituals like drinking the wine in the Eucharist (the Lord`s Supper) or even in some cases they were threatened to the death.

Security and judicial Organizations pressure on churches still continues and in continuation of the series of restrictions imposed by the security authorities, the Official Evangelical Churches, the Central Numinous Community Church in Tehran, the Protestant Immanuel Church, Peter ‘s Evangelical Church in Tehran and etc. have been forced to cooperate with the security Organizations and accepting their demands on revealing the list of their members along with other information about them, including their national identification number, also preventing the participation of the Persian language Christian neophytes in their religious rituals, preventing them to hold the ceremonies in Persian.

Even the churches are refusing to accept the Persian language Christians, and they must hold their ceremonies in non-Persian language.

Prison sentences for Iranian Christians continue to be issued. In the Constitution of Islamic Republic, the religious freedom of Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians has been recognized but so far, the government’s actions against religious propaganda and the performance of their religious rites has shown that the Principles of the Constitution on the freedom of religion and prevention of ideas and beliefs Inquisition, were only intended to cover the violations against the rights of other religions in Iran. Based on the Islamic Republic Constitution, the twelve Imam Shia is the official religion of Iran and the religious and security organizations of the Iranian government are considering that the propaganda for the principles of these religions is a threat to the dominant ideology of the government and it is one of the main reasons why the regime has suppressed the Christian followers and missionaries by closing their churches and preventing them of religious propaganda.

In These Months:

• Based on Human’s rights report: October 13^th, Abdolreza (Mathias) Ali Hagh Nejhad, Shahrouz Eslam Doust, Behnam Akhlaghi, Babak Hosein ade, Mehdi Khatibi, Khalil Dehghanpour, Hosen Kadivar, Kamal Na`manian and Mohammad Vafadar, 9 Christian neophytes have been sentenced to 5 years of discretionary custody by the Tehran Revolution court.
• Based on Human’s rights report: October 19^th, Yousef Nadrkhani, Non-trinity Christian Neophyte, who was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and was on hunger-strike because of the prevention of continuation of the education of his children as the consequence of their religious beliefs, stopped his hunger-strike.
• Based on Human’s rights report: after passing 53 days of the detention of Mohammad Salehi, Christian neophyte by the intelligence forces of Sepah, still authorities are refusing to give a vivid answer about his situation.
• Based on Mohebat News: on October 16^th, Rokhsare Ghanbari Known as Mahrokh, Christian neophyte, has introduced herself to Kachouei prison of Karaj in order to serve her 1 year of imprisonment.
• Based on Human’s right report in Iran: on November 10^th, Ebrahim Firouzi, Christian neophyte, who had served his 5 years of imprisonment, has traveled to Sarbaz city in order to execute the second part of the order against him which he was condemned to spent 2 years in exile in this city.
• Based on Human’s rights report in Iran: on October 22^nd, Esmaeil Maghrebi Nejhad, Christian Neophyte of Shiraz, had been summoned to the revolution court of this city and after increasing of his bail from 10 million to 100 million, has been released conditionally and temporarily.

The statistical report of violations against the Christians:

Gonabadi Dervishes:

Gonabadi and Nematolahi Dervishes are 11 million people, almost 9 times more than Iranian army. In January and February 2018 in Tehran, they fought against security forces. In a tension between police and Dervishes, 3 police officers and 2 of Basij forces were killed and 300 Dervishes were arrested. The fight started because of the limitation that the government put on visiting their leader, Nourali Tabande. These limitations were the new start of harassment against Dervishes across the country. These harassments continued so that the security forces wanted to surround the Dervishes leader’s house (Doctor Tanabande, a 90 years-old man) with the charge of acting against national security. In result of that, these fighting aroused more. Amirali Mohamadi Labaf, a Gonabadi Dervish member on 18^th of February was invited to the police station and was interrogated and beat. Other Dervishes after getting informed about Amirali Mohamadi Labaf had gone to the police station and made him free but that led to arresting Nematollah Riahi, another Gonabadi Dervish. Mr. Riahi on the same day was transferred to the security forces. This atmosphere continued until 18^th of February that Dervishes gathered in front of Police station number 106 in order to free Mr. Riahi. But this gathering turn to a fight when Special Forces came to the scene and 5 Dervishes were killed and 300 Dervishes were arrested.

In These Months:

• Based on Human’s rights report in Iran: on October 5^th, Faeze Abdi Pour, Gonabadi Dervish and student guild activist, has been summoned to the appeal court via short message in order to present her final defense.
• Based on Human’s rights report in Iran: on November 13^th, Farhad Naeimi and Saleh Kamali Dehkordi, two Gonabadi Dervishes prisoner of the Tehran prison, who were sentenced to 2 years of discretionary custody, has been released conditionally on second year of their imprisonment time.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on November 5^th, all 72 Gonabadi Dervishes prisoners, who were arrested in seventh Golistan conflict, went oh hunger strike because of the restricted security terms on Nour Ali Tabande, the leader of Gonabadi Dervishes.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on November 1^st, Nazila Nouri, Female Gonabadi Dervish, who was arrested in seventh Golistan conflict, has been released from Evin prison after serving her 1 year of discretionary custody.
• Based on Herana: on November 10^th, Reza Sigarchi, Gonabadi Dervish prisoner, has been transferred to Imam Khomeini hospital after passing 11 days after his heart attack
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on November 8^th, Ehsan Safari, Gonabadi Dervish prisoner Tehran prison, after serving 2 years of his 3 years of discretionary custody had been released conditionally and has been sent to Sistan and Balouchestan to serve his 2 years of exile order.
• Based on human’s rights in Iran: on November 4^th, by the order of the chief of the Khoram Abad prison, the mustache and the hair of Majid Moradi, Heidar Teimoori has been shaved and because of the resistance of Mojtaba Bidarvand, he has moved to solitary cell.

The statistical report of violations against the Dervishes:

Followers of other religions:

The current authorities in Iran have the belief that some of religious groups are the enemy of the country. Because their beliefs may challenge the loyalty to the regime and with the excuse of keeping political security they have started to suppress any religious activities. The most important point is that the security organization in Iran has special divisions to confront any religion or belief that have no place in the framework of ideology in regime.

In This Summer:

• Based on Human’s rights report in Iran: on November 15^th, a security authority in Khorasan Razavi, announced that a group of people have been arrested because of blasphemy in social networks.
• Based on Human’s rights report in Iran: on November 14^th, Mashalah Pesar Kohan, Jew religious prisoner, who has been sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment, is depriving from medical services in despite of his critical physical condition. His family are living in Israeil and he can not make a phone call to speak with them.
• Based on Human’s rights report in Iran: on November 10^th, Siavash Hayati, 61 years old religious prisoner, and top student of Kermanshah Razi university has been deprived of continuation of his education and presenting his thesis because of his Yarsan religious.

The statistical report of violations against the followers of other religions: