Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Shabtabnews – Ardeshir Fanaian is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
https://www.uscirf.gov/victims-list/prisoner/512
On April 30, 2019, Fanaian was arrested and taken to an undisclosed location after police raided his home. He and two others were accused of “unlawful membership of an illegal group aimed at disrupting domestic security,” “participation in, formation and administration of an unlawful group intended to unsettling national security inside the country,” and “taking part in action against the Islamic Republic regime in favor of opposition groups.” He was reportedly denied access to a lawyer.
In June 2019, Fanaian’s furlough request to attend his father’s funeral was denied.
In October 2019, the Revolutionary Court in Semnan sentenced Fanaian to ten years in prison for “membership of illegal groups acting against national security” and “acting against national security through propaganda and organizational activities.”
In January 2020, the Court of Appeals of Semnan Province reduced Fanaian’s sentence to six years in prison.
In August 2020, Fanaian was granted a short prison furlough to marry his fiancée, Golrokh Firouzian (also spelt Golrokh Firuzeyan).
It is reported that throughout his imprisonment, Fanaian has been subjected to periods of prolonged solitary confinement.
Prior to his most recent arrest, Fanaian spent eight months in prison in the early 2010s for allegedly “proselytizing Baha’ism.”
Fanaian was adopted by Representative Jan Schakosky (D-IL) as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project.
