Winter report of violation of the rights of followers of religions in Iran–2020

Tables Preparation: Reza Abasi Zaman Abadi

Data Compiler: Seyed Shayan Hosseini Barzi, Sam Jabari Kermani, Abas Rezaei Salarvand

Translation: Mehrab Zarei

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 of the rights of followers of other religions in Iran in Winter 2020. 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 Herana: on January 11th, the hearing about the charges of Hamzeh Darvish, a Sunni prisoner in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj has been conducted in Evin prosecutor office.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: from last 40 days there is no information about the Sunni clergy “Molavi Abdolrauf Dashti”.
• Based on Herana and Human Rights reports in Iran: Hamzeh Darvish, Sunni religion prisoners in Rajai Shahr from last 18 days after torturing by prison guards transferred to the solitary cell.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: on 3rd January, the intelligence officers have been attacked to the one of the relatives of Adhamollah Zehi house. They beat him and took him to an unknown place.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: on November 27th, Arsalan Porki, seminary student has been arrested by intelligence forces in Sarbaz.
• Based on Herana: on December 24th, Hamzeh Darvish, Sunni religion prisoners in RajaiShahr prison, after 4 days staying in solitary cell, his health condition is critical.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: on 21 January 2020, many of people in Zahedan due to the Molavi Abdolvahid speeches censorship has conducted a demonstration, many are arrested and Dr. Omid (Naiem) Barahouei is also was among the arrested and until today there is no information about them.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: Two sunni clergy, Abdolhay Aramesh and Saeid Aramesh has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Bandar Abbas revolutionary court.
• Based on Herana: on 3 February 2020, Ebrahim Balooch, a sunni clergy prisoner got freed on bail.
• Based on Herana: Seven Sunni prisoner who are earlier sentenced to the execution, once more their trial has been approved in supreme court. The names are: Anvar Khezri, Kamran Sheykheh, Farhad Salimi, Ghasem Abasteh, Khosro Besharat, Ayoub Karimi, and Davoud Abdollahi.
• Based on Herana: Esmaeil Rashidi, a sunni prisoner in RajaiShahr prison who has arrested 4 years ago and sentenced to 5 years in prison, he has requested for a leave but the authorities don’t accept it.
• Based on Herana: on 4 February 2020, Habiballah Jamshidi, a sunni clergy has been arrested by Saravan intelligence forces and until today there is no information about him.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: The Mashhad prison forces has collect the (7000000 Rial) from a sunni clergy Molana Kouhi and another seven prisoners with him to transfer them from Mashhad prison to Zahedan prison. The names are: Molavi Abdolraouf Dashti, Habiballah Ashkani Alya, Haj Mohammadnour Askani, Khaled Rasoulizadeh, Abdolaziz Shirouzehi, Hafez Asgharkouhi, and Abdol Arbabi.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: Molavi Abdoljalil Namani, a sunni clergy in Zahedan has been summoning to the supreme leader office.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: on 15 February 2020, Zaker Askani, a sunni citizen in Rasak has been summoning to the intelligence office. Based on Human Rights Association report: Marivan Karkouki, political Sunni religion prisoner, who is since last seven and half years in the prison, and term of his prison will get over on 11 April 2020 and he must get freed, but the authorities without any reason extend his prison term.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: Two Sunni clergy (Hafez Abdolhay Aramesh) and (Saeid Aramesh), both are sentenced to 5 years in prison, but due to the Corona virus infection among the prisoners, temporary they have been freed.
• Based on Herana: Iraj Soufi Mohammad, Sunni religion prisoner in Orumiyeh prison because of his uncertainty condition from 10 March 2020, start the food strike.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: Molavi Abdolghayoum Aghal, Sunni clergy on 5 March 2020, has been summoned to the Rasak’s intelligence office.
• Based on Human Rights Defense Association in Iran: Hamzeh Darvish, Sunni religion prisoner, who were in RajaiShahr prison and eight months ago transferred to the Rasht prison, he complained against insulting behavior of his interrogator, but on one has pay attention to him.
• Based on Balooch activist Campaign: on 27 February 2020, the intelligence forces have been arrested a Sunni clergy Molavi Mohammad Ghalandarzehi in his house and until today there is no information about him.
• Based on Herana: Jabar Ghaderi, Sunni religion prisoner in Rajai Shahr prison, last five months he has injured by knife in prison and until today he is in solitary confinement.

The statistical report of violations of 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 December 29th, Mohammad Javad Abtahi, Representation of Khomeini Shahr in parliament, informed about a note to Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Interior minister of Iran about the removing the “other religion” option in the national identity card application form. That means the Religions Followers which it’s not recognized in Islamic Republic of Iran Constitution can’t have national identity card.
• Based on Herana: on December 29th, Vahda Silani, a Baha’i citizen in Kerman, has been arrested after the invasion of intelligence forces to his housee and moved to an unknown place.
• Based on Herana: on December 28th, Shahnam Jazbani, a Baha’i citizen in Golestan, has been freed from prison after serving 21 months of his imprisonment time.
• Based on Herana: on December 29th, Vahda Silani, a Baha’i citizen in Kerman, has been arrested by intelligence forces and moved to an unknown place.
• Based on Herana: Kamran Shahidi, Baha’is citizen of Karaj, has been sentenced to 5 years of discretionary custody.
• Based on Herana: on January 2nd, Mitra Badrnejad, Baha’i citizen who has sentenced to 1 year of imprisonment, has returned to Ahvaz prison after her 10 days of leave.
• Based on Herana: Sahba Farnoush, Baha’i citizen of Tehran, has been sentenced to 16 months of discretionary custody by the Revolution Court.
• Based on Herana: The condemnation of Ali Ahmadi, Baha’i citizen of Qaem Shahr, once more has been Confirmed by Qaem Shahr revolution Court. Previously, he was sentenced to 11 years of discretionary custody.
• Based on Herana: January 15th, Vahda Silani, Baha’i citizen of Kerman, has been released from prison temporarily on 100 million Toman bail.
• Based on Herana: on January 15th, nine Baha’i citizens of Birjand, Bahman Salehi, Khalil Malaki, Bijan Ahmadi, Saghar Mohammadi have been sentenced to 4 years, Sheyda Abedi to 3 years, Sohrab Maleki to 3.5 years, Firouz Ahmadi, Simin Mohammadi and Maryam Mokhtari have been sentenced to 2 years of discretionary custody.
• Based on Herana: Four Baha’i citizens have been sentenced in sum of 16 years of imprisonment. Their names are: Amrallah Khaleghani, Ehsanallah Amiriniya, Nima Rajabzadeh, and Armanbandi Amirabad.
• Base on Herana: More than 8 years, 32 shops of Baha’i citizens are get closed by the regime of Islamic Republic of Iran and in these years many are forced to sell their shops. The names are: Parviz Seyfi, Mozafar Ayoubi, Badipour, Nouroldin Jahangiri, Shoja Jahangiri, Fardin Roshan nahd, Salar Seyfi, Parviz Maboudi bina, Kamran Maboudi bina, Sirous Maboudi bina, Peyman Bayati, Farshid Rezaei, Naeim Aghdasi yekta, Kamran Aghdasi yekta, Samandar Aghdasi yekta, Nader Aghdasi yekta, Behnam Ayoubi, Mansour Ayoubi, Peyman Aghdasi, Deceased Balliallah Khademi, Manouchehr Aghdasi yekta, Behrouz Rashedi, Deceased Yousef Rashedi, Saman Khodayari, Peyman Tabasi, Shahla Azizi, Mehran Khandel, Parisa Aghdasi and Mehran Mahboudiniya, Ramin Moghimi, Alireza Khandel, Mehran Shenasa are forced to sell their shops and Farshad Roshannahad, Hamid Azizi, Naser Mobin, Parviz Sharifi, Kaveh and Jamal are lose their assets.
• Based on Herana: on 23 January, a Baha’i couple, Saman Shirvani and Faraneh Mansouri has been arrested by Sepah intelligence forces in Ghaemshahr and there is no information about them.
• Based on Herana: Abolfazl Ansari, Rouhollah Zibaei, Rouin Kohansal, Mohammadsadegh Rezaei has sentenced total to 4 years in prison by Karaj revolutionary court.
• Based on Herana: Seven Baha’i citizens’ shops from last 3 years in Noshahr are get closed by Mazandaran court order. The names are: Arastou Asadi, Shamsallah Rouhani, Behshad Derakhshanian, Arash Derakhshanian, Raki Yousefi, Monib(Naser) Mansour, and Riyaz Haravi.
• Based on Herana: Four Baha’i citizens are sentenced to 3 years in prison and 2 years ban to leave the country. The names are: Mino Riyazati, Ehteram Sheykhi, Farideh Jaberi, and Asadollah Jaberi.
• Based on Herana: From last 3 years 19 shops of the Baha’i citizens are get closed by Mazandaran court order. The names are: Zatallah Darabi, Adel Samimi, Kamalodin Akbari, Amanallah Zahedi, Kourosh Ahmadi, Kourosh Moradi, Asghar Mofaghi, Hosein Ahmadi, Mahyar Ghanbari, Ziaallah Khoshbin, Ashkan Khalili, Behzad Zabihi, Jahanbakhsh Mofaghi, Mohammad Mofaghi, Ghavamoldin Sabetian, Zargham Zamani, Nima Mahinbakht, Pezhman Roshankouhi, and Shahram Nikbakht.
• Base on Herana: Payam Vali a Baha’i citizen, from last 12 years his shop has get closed by regime and he has send a letter on 1 February 2020 to the Nazarabad court and requested to can open his shop.
• Based on Herana: on 25 January 2020, Firouzeh Safizadeh a Baha’i citizen has been arrested by intelligence forces in Talesh and the authorities didn’t allow her to get a lawyer.
• Based on Herana: on 5 March 2020, Mitra Badrnejad a Baha’i citizen in Ahvaz prison, after one year of imprisonment, has been freed.
• Based on Herana: There is only one month left from the prison term of Roha Imani a Baha’i prisoner and according to the rules, she is able to use her last month leave, but the authorities do not accept it.
• Based on Herana: on 12 March, Vahed Kholousi a Baha’i citizen in Rajai Shahr prison has got the permission to leave the prison on bail.
• Based on Herana: Niloufar Hakimi, Farzan Masoumi, Shahnaz Sabet, and Farhan Sabet, Baha’i prisoners once more all has been summoning to the revolutionary court.
• Based on political Prisoners Defense Association: on 15 March 2020, Samin Maghsoudi a Baha’i citizen in Evin prison, who has sentenced to five years in prison has got permission to leave the prison.
• Based on Herana: Twenty-one Baha’I citizens in Shiraz, the names are; Marjan Gholampour, Mojgan Gholampour, Farbod Shadman, Farzad Shadman, Parisa Rouhi Zadgan, Shamim Akhlaghi, Sahba Farahbakhsh, Sahba Moslehi, Ahdiyeh Enayati, Mahyar Sefidi, Shadi Sadegh Aghdam, Vargha Kaviyani, Soroush Ighani, Marik Eslami, Yekta Fahandezh, Nabil Tahzib, Samar Ashnaei, Rezvan Yazdani, Lala Shahi, Nasim Kashaniv, and Bahareh Nourozi all on 14 March 2020 has been summoning to the Shiraz revolution court.
• Based on Herana: Elahe Samiezadeh, a Baha’i citizen in Shiraz, has been summoned to the Shiraz revolution court last week.
• Based on Herana: Five Baha’i citizen Noushin Zanhari, Esmaeil Rousta, Behnamak Azizpour, Saeid Hasani, and Ramin Shirvani all has been summoned to the Shiraz revolution court.
• Based on Herana: Farhad Fahandezh, Baha’i citizen, who has earlier sentenced to ten years in prison, after seven and half years on 16 March 2020 has got leave.
• Based on Herana: on 17 March, Peyman Koushak Baghi, a Baha’I citizen in Evin prison has got leave.

The statistical report of violations of 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 Herana: Mohammad Reza Rezaie, Asghar Salehi and another unknown Christian neophyte, have been sentenced to 6 months of discretionary custody.
• Based on Mohabat news: Fereydoun Elahyari on January 2nd has reported to the Imina news about the destruction of tombstones in Armenians active cemetery.
• Base on Mohabat news: Ramaeil Bettormez, Assyrian Christian citizen, son of Priest Victor Bettormez, has been sentenced to 4 months of discretionary custody.
• Based on Herana: Esmaeil Maghrebinezhad, a Christian citizen in Shiraz has been sentenced to 3 years in prison by Shiraz revolutionary court.
• Based on Herana: on 27 February, Esmaeil Maghrebi nezhad, Christian citizen in Shiraz has been sentenced two years in prison in Shiraz revolution court.
• Based on Herana: on 26 February, Ramaeil Bethormoz, Christian citizen in Evin prison has got leave.

The statistical report of violations of 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:

• Four Dervish citizens after 46 days’ food strike without completing of their medical treatments from hospital send it back to the prison. The names are: Reza Entesari, Ahmad Iranikhah, Morteza Kangarlou, Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam and health condition of Sina Entesari a Dervish prisoner in Tehran and another Darvish prisoner Shahram Moghadasi in Boroujerd prison are reported very critical.
• Based on Herana: On 28 January, Shahram Moghadasi, a Dervish prisoner in Boroujerd prison has been beated by prison guards and transferred to the solitary confinement.
• Based on Herana: Ahmad Barakouhi, a Dervish prisoner in 28 January 2020 after 2 years in prison has got freed from Tehran prison.
• Based on Herana: On 8 February 2020, three Dervish prisoner Shokougeh Yadallahi, Sina Entesari and Sepideh Moradi after 2 years in prison, has got freed from Evin prison.
• Based on Herana: On 10 February 2020, Reza Sigarchi, a Dervish prisoner in Karaj prison due to his uncertainty health condition transferred to the hospital.
• Based on Human Rights Defense Association in Iran: on 14, Amir Nouri, Bashir Riyahi, Dervish citizen in Tehran prison, after two years they got leave.
• Based on political Defense Association in Iran: on 4 March, Reza Sigarchi, a Dervish citizen in Ghazalhesar prison in Karaj, due to his uncertain health condition took to the prison’s clinic and after basic treatment send him again to his cell.

The statistical report of violations of 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 Herana: January 11th, once more, Marjan Davari, researcher and translator, tried for the propagation of newfound mystical ((Ecknakar)) in another branch of the revolution court due to her file uncertainties. Earlier, she was sentenced to death penalty in revolution court.
• Based on Herana: Five Yamanieh religion followers in Evin prison which are Ali Basij, Bagher Soleymanian, Mostafa Jalal, Mehdi Mahmoudi, Mohammad Pakdel has been sentenced to 2 years in prison.
• Based on Herana: Marjan Davari, researcher and translator due to her activities in mystical Eckankar has been sentenced to 75 years in prison but according to the Islamic penal code, just 25 years she has to be in prison and also earlier she has been sentenced to the execution but Tehran revolutionary court canceled the execution order.
• Based on Kurdistan Human Rights Community Report: Dr. Ahmadian, a Yarsan activist, from Kermanshah, has got freed from prison on bail.
• Based on Herana: Marjan Davari, researcher and translator which is in Qarchak prison in Varamain, and has sentenced with Karim Zargar together to the execution in revolution court, due to her father health condition, she has requested for a leave but the authorities did not accept it.

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