Friday , 29 March 2024

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.


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) –

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

-Sari (42 businesses)-

  1. Mansour Mehrchi, Cosmetic distributor
  2. Zaat Allah Daraee, Carpenter
  3. Sohrab Zahedi, Stationary shop
  4. Saed Andkhas, Clothing store
  5. Gelordi Movafaghi, Carpenter
  6. Nima Shabrokh, Cosmetic store
  7. Yaghoub Akbari, Appliance repair
  8. Arman Safee, Stationary shop
  9. Adel Samimi, Anti-theft doors shop
  10. Nourgol Goli, Mechanic Shop
  11. Farhad Razghi, Cosmetic Distributor
  12. Kamal eldin Akbari, Woodturning shop
  13. Aman Allah Zahedi, Carpenter
  14. Kourosh Ahmadi, Car repair shop
  15. Kourosh Moradi, Carpenter
  16. Asghar Movafaghi, Carpenter
  17. Hossein Ahmadi, Carpenter
  18. Mehryar Ghanbari, Security System installation
  19. Zia Allah Khoshbin, Building/ Construction paint store
  20. Ashkan Khalili, Electric motor windings shop
  21. Naeem Kamali, Appliance repair
  22. Ramin Mousavi, Building decorations shop
  23. Ehsan Sanaee, Cosmetic store
  24. Bahman Zabihi, Accessories store
  25. Behzad Zabihi, Optical store
  26. Shahriyar Foroughian, Electric motor windings shop
  27. Behrouz Yousefi, Appliance repair
  28. Vahid Golpour, Clothing store
  29. JahanBakhsh Movafaghi, Woodturning shop
  30. Mohammad Movafaghi, Carpenter
  31. Akbar Hosseini, Wood shop
  32. Ghavam Edin Sabetian, Carpenter
  33. Hesam Yousefi, Carpenter
  34. Zargham Zamani, Clothing store
  35. Nima Mahinbakht, Security systems retail
  36. Pejman roshankouhi, Tools store
  37. Shahram Nobakht, Tools store
  38. Shahab nobakht, Tools store
  39. Behrouz Yousefi, Appliance repair
  40. Aramesh Andkhas, Clothing store
  41. Marhoum ZekrAllah Rahmanian, Optical shop

-Tonekabon (6 Businesses) –

  1. Misagh Esmail Zadegan, Phone repairs
  2. Noushin MAsoudian, Clothing store
  3. Syrous Nasiri, Cabinet making
  4. Saleh Ashkourian, Appliance store
  5. sina Garshasbi, Carpet retail
  6. NAeem Khalajabadi, Furniture fabrication

– Fereydoun Kenra (one business)-

  1. Afshin Azadi, Clothing store

– Bahnemir (two businesses) –

  1. ahmad Niknejad, Repair and sale of gas working appliances
  2. Feyz Allah Niknejad, Bicycle shop

– Amol (4 Businesses) –

  1. Ser Allah Hekmat Shoar, Store owner
  2. Afshin Sobati, Shoe store
  3. Daryoush Talaee, Optical shop
  4. Farshid Kian, Optical shop

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

  1. Aghayan Rouh Allah Eyghani, Refrigrator repairs
  2. Michael EsmailPour, Air-conditioning systems store
  3. Khalil Naghipour, Air-conditioning systems store
  4. Sanahiye Kandy, Security store

Also 4 more stores have been shut down since May 2016

  1. Mahyar Lotfi, Household Appliances
  2. Jamal edin Esmaeelpour, Refrigerator spare parts
  3. Mahvash Khazei, Furniture store

102. Soroush Garshasbi, Household Appliances

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