A/HRC/4/21/Add.1 page 48 Communication sent on 13 June 2006 jointly with the Independent Expert on Minority Issues 197. The Special Rapporteur and the Independent expert received information concerning the arrest of 54 members of the Bahá’í community in the city of Shiraz and other incidents concerning the Bahá’í community. 198. On 19 May 2006, 54 Bahá’í were arrested in Shiraz. The arrested Bahá’í were involved in community work, with a local non-Governmental organisation, at the time of their arrest. They were in possession of a letter of permission of the Islamic Council in Shiraz for this work. A number of non-Bahá’í volunteers who were involved in the community service were also arrested but released on the same day, without having to post bail. A 15-year old Bahá’í was released immediately too. 199. On 20 May 2006 the judge in charge of all these cases, stated that most of the detainees would be released soon. This was confirmed by an official by the Ministry of Information in Shiraz, who informed a family-member that the detainees would be released within 48 hours. Afterwards, on 24 May 2006, 14 Bahá’í were released but only after they posted the deed of property of their house as bail to meet the amount of 10 million tuman (approximately US $ 11,000) set as bail. On 25 May 2006, a further 36 Bahá’í were released after they personally guaranteed they would appear in Court when summoned or deposited work licenses as a surety. Three Bahá’í remain detained and there is no indication when they will be released. None of the detainees were formally charged. The houses of 6 of the 52 detainees were also raided and notebooks, computers and (in one case) books and documents were confiscated. 200. In addition, on 15 January 2006, 3 members of the Bahá’í community were arrested in Kermanshah. One of them was told that he attracted “non-Bahá’í to the Bahá’í faith”. On the same day the rooms of these individuals were raided during which books, documents and various other items were taken. Mr. G.’ place of work was also searched. The homes of four other Bahá’í were searched on the same day and books, documents and other items were taken. 201. In one of the Court documents pertaining to Ms. H. it is stated that she is charged with “teaching the Bahá’ísm sect and acting in an insulting manner towards all that is holy in Islam”. Mr. G. was told in Court that his crime was apostasy, which is punishable by death, but had been reduced to involvement in Bahá’í activities and insulting Islam. They were released on 21 January 2006 and are awaiting trial at the Revolutionary Court. 202. It is reported that Ms. H. wrote a letter to a family member regarding her arrest, in which she informs that her interrogations lasted eight hours and focused on the religious instruction she was involved in and her role as a coordinator of this teaching programme. She was allegedly also asked to give information about the Bahá’í faith and its administrative order, as well as to give details about her father and six other Bahá’í who had been killed in 1981. 203. On 5 February 2006, three active members of the Bahá’í community in Isfahan were allegedly arrested. They have since been released. Finally, from 9 to 11 May 2006, 11 Bahá’í homes were allegedly raided in Villashahr, Shahinshahr, Najafabad and Kashan. Books and computers were confiscated, but no one was arrested.