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RFL/RE – Iran has arrested at least nine more members of the Baha’i faith, the country’s largest non-Muslim community, and raided the homes of 20 Baha’i families in the western Iranian city of Hamadan, sources told RFERL’s Radio Farda, the latest in a series of acts by the government against the faith’s followers.
Eyewitnesses described the searches conducted by the “armed” security forces as “violent.” According to Radio Farda’s sources, personal electronic devices, religious books and photographs, and, in some cases, cash belonging to the households searched were also seized.
The source said no information on the reason for the arrests or the whereabouts of the detained has been released. Officials have not commented on the situation.
Earlier this month, the Baha’i International Community reported a rising wave of persecution against the group, with 36 attacks in cities including Isfahan and Yazd. Additionally, 26 Baha’is, including 16 women, have been sentenced to a total of 126 years in prison, mainly for “promoting” the Baha’i faith.
The Islamic republic of Iran does not recognize the Baha’i faith, and judicial authorities have repeatedly labeled Baha’i followers as “spies and enemies,” issuing death sentences, arrests, and imprisonments, while also denying them education and business opportunities.
There are some 300,000 Baha’i adherents in Iran, where the faith is not officially recognized, and an estimated 5 million followers worldwide.
In a religious fatwa issued in 2018, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forbade contact, including business dealings, with followers of the faith.
Since the Islamic republic was established in 1979, at least 200 Baha’i have been executed, or arrested and never heard from again.
Thousands more have been banned from pursuing higher education or had their property confiscated, while vandals often desecrate Baha’i cemeteries.
Since nationwide protests began in 2022, there has been a significant increase in the summonsing and detention of Baha’i citizens.
Iran’s judiciary last month said it closed down 12 schools and educational centers and made several arrests in the northern city of Babol on charges of “promoting the Baha’i faith.”
In July, Iranian security agents raided the homes of dozens of Baha’is in different parts of the country, arresting several well-known community leaders and charging many with “spying for Israel.”
