Five Baha’i women and one man detained to serve prison sentences

Hengaw — Sunday, November 16, 2025

Five Baha’i women, Mona Zakaei, Naghmeh Mirza Agha, Mahin Saadatmand, Mahshid Sefidi, and Samar Masoudi, along with one man, Naser Rajab, have been detained to begin serving their five-month prison sentences and transferred to Kachuei Prison in Karaj.

Based on information obtained by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the six were summoned to the Enforcement of Judgments Branch on Sunday, November 16, 2025, where they were detained and transferred to Kachuei Prison. Zakaei, Mirza Agha, Saadatmand, Sefidi, Masoudi, and Rajab are Baha’i residents of Karaj.

These Baha’i adherents were previously sentenced by Branch 12 of the Alborz Court of Appeal to five months in prison each, amounting to a total of 30 months. They were also given two-year bans on leaving the country and on engaging in social activities.

They had initially received ten-month prison sentences and a two-year travel ban from Branch 2 of the Alborz Revolutionary Court on charges of “propaganda against the government”.

Mirza Agha, Saadatmand, Sefidi, Masoudi, Zakaei, and Rajab were summoned to Branch 21 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court on July 6, 2024, where charges were presented and they were later released on bail and surety.