Baha’i couple detained in Shiraz as arrests expand to family members

Hengaw — Thursday, April 2, 2026

Iranian government forces have detained a Baha’i couple, Behzad Basiri and Mandana Sotoudeh, in Shiraz and transferred them to an undisclosed location.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.
Basiri was arrested at his home on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, while Sotoudeh was detained the same day at her parents’ house in Shiraz.

Intelligence agents from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) searched the residences and confiscated electronic devices belonging to the couple.

The arrests come days after the detention of Mahsa Sotoudeh, 25, Mandana Sotoudeh’s sister, who was arrested on Sunday, March 29, 2026, after IRGC intelligence forces raided her home.

Authorities have not disclosed the reasons for the arrests, the charges against the three individuals, or their place of detention.