A/HRC/16/53/Add.1
2.
(a)
Urgent appeal sent on 13 August 2010 jointly with the Chair-Rapporteur of the
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; and the Independent Expert on Minority
Issues
Allegations transmitted to the Government
185. The Special Procedures mandate holders brought to the attention of the Government
information regarding recent cases involving members of the Bahá’í community in the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
186. According to the information received, on 7 August 2010, Ms. Fariba Kamalabadi,
Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli,
Mr. Vahid Tizfahm and Ms. Mahvash Sabet were reportedly sentenced by a
Revolutionary Court in Teheran to 20 years of imprisonment each. The five men and two
women, who were formerly the members of the Bahá’í leadership group at national level
and have been detained in Evin prison since 2008, were allegedly convicted of charges
including “insulting religious sanctities”, “espionage for Israel” and “propaganda against
the system”. On 9 August 2010, they were reportedly transferred to a prison in Gohardasht,
Karaj.
187. On 18 July 2010, Mr. Ghavamoddin Sabetian was arrested by Intelligence
Ministry agents who came to his home in Sari (Mazandaran Province). Ministry officers
had searched the home on 9 June 2010 and confiscated personal belongings, including all
material related in any way to his religious beliefs.
188. On 17 July 2010, Intelligence Ministry officials arrested Mr. Hedayatollah Rezaie
in Abadan (Khouzestan province) following a search of his home.
189. On 14 July 2010, Mr. Houman Hourbod, aged 18 years, was summoned to the
local Intelligence Ministry office in Sari (Mazandaran Province) and arrested upon arrival.
On 30 June 2010, Intelligence Ministry officers had come to search his family’s home,
summoning his father, Mr. Ehsanollah Hourbod, for interrogation the next day and then
releasing him.
190. On 22 June 2010, officers from the Intelligence Ministry arrested Ms. Noura
Nabilzadeh in an orphanage in Mashhad, while she was playing music for the children
there. The officers took her to her home, searched the house and confiscated all materials
related to her religion along with other personal belongings, including the computers and
cell phones of all family members. On 5 July 2010, Ms. Nabilzadeh was permitted to have a
telephone conversation with her family. She is being detained at the local detention centre
of the Intelligence Ministry. Her father, Mr. Davar Nabilzadeh, recently lost his appeal
against a sentence of five years’ imprisonment and he was taken back into custody to begin
serving his prison term on 13 July 2010.
191. On 20 June 2010, Intelligence Ministry officials searched Ms. Sara Mahboubi’s
home in Sari (Mazandaran Province) and confiscated computers and books, CDs and
photos linked to the Bahá’í faith. She was not home at the time and the officials told her
parents that she had to go to the local office of the Ministry upon her return. On 24 June
2010, Ms. Mahboubi went to the Ministry and was immediately arrested.
192. On 7 June 2010, Mr. Moshtagh Samandari was summoned to the local Intelligence
Ministry office in Babol and was arrested upon arrival. Subsequently, he was sentenced to
three years of prison on charges of disrespecting Islam by advertising Baha’ism. His
brother, Mr. Moshfegh Samandari (also of Babol) is currently in prison serving out a sixmonth sentence.
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