Authorities’ Silence towards Shutting down of 102 Baha’i Owned Businesses in Mazandaran Province

HRANA News Agency – By passing of more than 3 weeks since 93 Baha’i businesses were shut down in the province of Mazandaran and by passing of months since 9 Baha’i businesses were shut down in Tonekabon, relevant authorities have not given any formal and legal respond to the owners of these businesses. According to verbal statements made by relevant authorities, the warrant for closing and shutting down of Baha’i’s businesses in Mazandaran has been approved by the security council of this province; However in this 3 weeks, not even one of them has been able to meet the governor of Mazandaran (Dr. Rabi Fallah Jelodar). The prosecutor of Mazandaran (Assad Allah Jafari) and the head of judiciary in Mazandaran (Hojat AlIslam Mohammad Ali Taghavi Fard) have also stated that the closing of Baha’i businesses in this province has nothing to do with the judiciary of the province. Despite the repeated inquiries and visits to the provincial government by the owners of these businesses even their letters have not been recorded by the provincial government. Relevant unions either say that they are unaware of these closures or excuse themselves from the responsibilities of these closures. In personal visits of the owners of these business, the monitoring commission refuse to visit, record or register the complaints.

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According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), despite passing of more than a month since the Baha’I businesses of Mazandaran Province have been shut down, judiciary and governmental authorities have kept their silence and the judiciary of the province has stated the closures have nothing to do with the judiciary.

It has been reported that, despite the attempts of Baha’is to solve this issue, even some of the authorities in the provincial government prevent the Baha’is from visiting the governor of the province. The efforts to stop Baha’i business owners from meeting the governor of the province is to the extent that 5 of the Baha’i business owners of Qaem shahr that their business have been shut down on the first and second of November, were arrested upon their inquiry at the provincial government. The process of arrest and before the arrest has been video recorded by the authorities, nevertheless the authorities have not provided any evidence proving that the arrestees have formed a protest, chanted slogans or raised placards. Behnam Mirzaee, Arsham Golpour, Nima Nokhah, Shahrouz Zamani, Soheil Haghdoost are those who have been arrested on the 8thof November while visiting the provincial government. On the 17th November, the mentioned were released after 9 days on a 20 million Toman bail.

The monitoring public places police authorities have signed the conditions to reopen the Baha’i owned businesses and have asked for commitments as follow:

“I, ……… , hereby commit to close my business on the national holidays and to comply with the trade laws, and also one week in advance of my religious holidays report to the union, guilds and police and if permitted then close my business for the holidays. Otherwise I should be confronted in accordance to the law.”

This is while according to section B of Article 28 of the trade Law, the owner of any business could close its business for 15 days annually without reporting to the unions. Additionally, it is the union responsibility to handle the closing of businesses, where as in Mazandaran the “monitoring public places police” has been directly shutting down businesses.  It worth mentioning, “monitoring public places police” is only an executive organ, but in Mazandaran all the issues in regard to shutting down the Baha’i owned business are referred to this organ, and other organs such as the Union Monitoring Commission refuses to receive complaints from the Baha’is and refers them to the “monitoring public places police” to inquire about their complaints.

Below is the list of the businesses owners and their businesses in Mazandaran which have been shut down on the 1st and 2ndof November – Coincided with the birthday of Báb and Bahá’u’lláh – :

– Nowshahr (7 businesses) –

1. Behshad Derakhshan, security systems retail
2. Riaz allah Haroudi, Watch Making
3. Monib Mansour, Optician
4. Bahman Rohani, Photography
5. Raki Yousefi, Optician
6. Arastoo Asadi, Welding shop
7. Arash derakhshanian, Mechanic Shop

– Qaem shahr (31 businesses) –

8. Fariborz Sabeti, Appliance Repair shops
9. Naeem Samimi, Body Shop
10. Rezvane Samiee, body shop
11. Akbar Goli, Producing machinery for confectionery shops
12. Nima Miri, Cosmetic store
13. Fazel Asadi, Mobile repairs
14. Shayan Ghadami, Paint shop
15. Zekr Allah Akbari, Welding shop
16. Shahin Akbari, Metal trade shop
17. Fariborz Sanaee, Plastic retail
18. Zekr Allah Babaee, Grocery store
19. Atr Allah Movafagh, Refrigerator production
20. Daryoush Bakhtiari, Car studio
21. Saeed Asadi, Automotive repair
22. Jalal Ataeeyan, Sanitary/health shop
23. Shahrokh Asadi, Refrigrator production
24. Zahra Golabian, Optician
25. Jhoubin yousefi, Alarm system retailor
26. Sohrab Laghaee, Optician
27. Farzad Sabeti, Car service and oil change shop
28. Changiz Derakhshanian and nima Vakhah, Toy store
29. Kourosh Ahmadzadegan, Security systems store
30. Aladdin mirzaee, Security systems store
31. Houman Rostami, Alarm system retail
32. Shahram and Shahrouz Zamani, Spare parts for cars retail
33. soheil Haghighatdoost, Optician
34. Bahedin Samimi, Stationary shop
35. Behnramm and Behdad Shirvani, Appliance Repair
36. Nourallah Ataeeyan, Motor winding shop
37. Bahram Sefri, Electronics store
38. Sohel Ahmadzadegan, Glue store
39. Mehrpouya Fadaee, Appliance Repair

-Sari (42 businesses)-

40. Mansour Mehrchi, Cosmetic distributor
41. Zaat Allah Daraee, Carpenter
42. Sohrab Zahedi, Stationary shop
43. Saed Andkhas, Clothing store
44. Gelordi Movafaghi, Carpenter
45. Nima Shabrokh, Cosmetic store
46. Yaghoub Akbari, Appliance repair
47. Arman Safee, Stationary shop
48. Adel Samimi, Anti-theft doors shop
49. Nourgol Goli, Mechanic Shop
50. Farhad Razghi, Cosmetic Distributor
51. Kamal eldin Akbari, Woodturning shop
52. Aman Allah Zahedi, Carpenter
53. Kourosh Ahmadi, Car repair shop
54. Kourosh Moradi, Carpenter
55. Asghar Movafaghi, Carpenter
56. Hossein Ahmadi, Carpenter
57. Mehryar Ghanbari, Security System installation
58. Zia Allah Khoshbin, Building/ Construction paint store
59. Ashkan Khalili, Electric motor windings shop
60. Naeem Kamali, Appliance repair
61. Ramin Mousavi, Building decorations shop
62. Ehsan Sanaee, Cosmetic store
63. Bahman Zabihi, Accessories store
64. Behzad Zabihi, Optical store
65. Shahriyar Foroughian, Electric motor windings shop
66. Behrouz Yousefi, Appliance repair
67. Vahid Golpour, Clothing store
68. JahanBakhsh Movafaghi, Woodturning shop
69. Mohammad Movafaghi, Carpenter
70. Akbar Hosseini, Wood shop
71. Ghavam Edin Sabetian, Carpenter
72. Hesam Yousefi, Carpenter
73. Zargham Zamani, Clothing store
74. Nima Mahinbakht, Security systems retail
75. Pejman roshankouhi, Tools store
76. Shahram Nobakht, Tools store
77. Shahab nobakht, Tools store
78. Behrouz Yousefi, Appliance repair
79. Aramesh Andkhas, Clothing store
80. Marhoum ZekrAllah Rahmanian, Optical shop

-Tonekabon (6 Businesses) –

81. Misagh Esmail Zadegan, Phone repairs
82. Noushin MAsoudian, Clothing store
83. Syrous Nasiri, Cabinet making
84. Saleh Ashkourian, Appliance store
85. sina Garshasbi, Carpet retail
86. NAeem Khalajabadi, Furniture fabrication

– Fereydoun Kenra (one business)-

87. Afshin Azadi, Clothing store

– Bahnemir (two businesses) –

88. ahmad Niknejad, Repair and sale of gas working appliances
89. Feyz Allah Niknejad, Bicycle shop

– Amol (4 Businesses) –

90. Ser Allah Hekmat Shoar, Store owner
91. Afshin Sobati, Shoe store
92. Daryoush Talaee, Optical shop
93. Farshid Kian, Optical shop

For almost a year 4 other businesses are shut down in Tonekabon and Nashtaroud. These businesses are as follow:

94. Aghayan Rouh Allah Eyghani, Refrigrator repairs
95. Michael EsmailPour, Air-conditioning systems store
96. Khalil Naghipour, Air-conditioning systems store
97. Sanahiye Kandy, Security store

Also 4 more stores have been shut down since May 2016

99. Mahyar Lotfi, Household Appliances
100. Jamal edin Esmaeelpour, Refrigerator spare parts
101. Mahvash Khazei, Furniture store

102. Soroush Garshasbi, Household Appliances