Five Baha’i adherents held in legal limbo at Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison

Hengaw – Friday, March 13, 2026

Iranian authorities continue to hold five Baha’i adherents, Payam Faridian, Sepehr Koushkbaghi, Erfan Tabatabaei, Rabie Maleki, and Navid Zarrehbin, in a state of legal limbo at Mashhad Central Prison (Vakilabad), more than two months after their arrest during the recent protests.

According to a report received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the five individuals were arrested by Iranian security forces in Mashhad amid the recent wave of protests. Despite the passage of more than 60 days since their detention, they remain deprived of basic legal rights, including the possibility of temporary release on bail.

Informed sources told Hengaw that security bodies, in coordination with the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Mashhad, have repeatedly obstructed efforts to post bail and secure the temporary release of these individuals. As a result, they remain arbitrarily detained and in a prolonged state of legal uncertainty in the general ward of Vakilabad Prison.

The five Baha’is were arrested in late January of this year by Iranian security forces. Authorities have yet to disclose the charges against them, and the judicial process surrounding their cases remains unclear.