A/HRC/13/40/Add.1 were reportedly brought against them. It was alleged that these arrests were part of other raids on the homes of the five aforementioned persons in Tehran and of Mr. Riazullah Sobhani, Mr. Golshan Sobhani, Mr. Shahryar Cyrus, Mr. Changiz Fanaiyan, Mr. Nima Haghar, Ms. Minoo Sasani and Ms. Homa Etemadi. Intelligence Ministry officials reportedly seized laptops, books and photographs related to the Bahá’í faith. 137. Reportedly, Mr. Aziz Samandari, Ms. Jinous Sobhani, Mr. Shahrokh Taef, Mr. Payam Aghsani and Mr. Didar Raoufi were held incommunicado in Evin Prison. Allegedly there is indication that they were arrested for “threat to inner security and collaboration with hostile countries”. Their cases were under the same examining magistrate in charge of the cases against the seven members of the Baha’i leadership group, who have reportedly been arbitrarily detained without charge since May 2008 in the same prison. The seven members of the Bahá’í leadership group, Ms. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm and Ms. Mahvash Sabet, have already been the subject of joint communications sent on 19 May 2008 and on 17 October 2008 (see above para. 130). 138. The Special Procedures mandate holders drew the Government’s attention to General Assembly resolution 61/153, in which the Assembly “reminds all States that prolonged incommunicado detention or detention in secret places may facilitate the perpetration of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and can in itself constitute a form of such treatment, and urges all States to respect the safeguards concerning the liberty, security and dignity of the person.” The Special Procedures mandate holders also asked the Government to indicate the legal basis for the arrest and detention of Mr. Aziz Samandari, Ms. Jinous Sobhani, Mr. Shahrokh Taef, Mr. Payam Aghsani and Mr. Didar Raoufi and how these measures were compatible with applicable international human rights norms and standards as contained, inter alia, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (b) Response from the Government dated 20 February 2009 139. The response from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran dated 20 February 2009 is summarized above in paras. 131-134. (c) Observations of the Special Rapporteur 140. The Special Rapporteur is grateful that the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran replied to the joint communication of 26 January 2009. However, she notes that in its reply letter the Government did not provide any information on the legal basis for the arrest and detention of Mr. Aziz Samandari, Ms. Jinous Sobhani, Mr. Shahrokh Taef, Mr. Payam Aghsani and Mr. Didar Raoufi and how these measures were compatible with applicable international human rights norms and standards. In addition, the Special Rapporteur would like to refer to her observations above in para. 135. 4. (a) Urgent appeal sent on 23 March 2009 jointly with the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on arbitrary detention, and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Allegations transmitted to the Government 141. The Special Procedures mandate holders brought to the attention of the Government information they had received regarding the Hosseinieh of Nematollahi-Gonabadi Sufi order and the subsequent detention of Mr. Mohammad-Ali Taban, Mr. Parviz Shams, Mr. Firuz Bidabad, Mr. Ali-Akbar Bonnakdar, Mr. Hassan Kashani, Mr. Mohammad-Sadeq Moradi-Sarvestani, Mr. Amin Karampour, Mr. Mehrdad Karami, Mr. Abolfazl Salehi, Mr. Mikael Qorbani, Mr. Reza Forutan, Mr. Peyman Amrai, Mr. Reza Mehravar, Mr. Moslem 37