Baha’i man Noyan Hejazi tortured during arrest, hospitalized in Sari

Hengaw – Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Noyan Hejazi, a Baha’i resident of Juybar, was subjected to severe physical assault and torture by officers of the Public Security and Intelligence Police (PAVA) during his arrest in Sari. The severity of his injuries led to his transfer to a hospital.

Information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights shows that Noyan Hejazi was lured to Sari through a deceptive phone call from security authorities regarding the recovery of property previously confiscated from him. He was then violently arrested in the city.

During the arrest, security forces severely beat Hejazi in a public street. Repeated kicks to his chest and abdomen caused fractured and cracked ribs. Due to the seriousness of his injuries and the intense pain resulting from the torture, he was transferred to a hospital under the supervision of security forces only hours later.

Hejazi was previously arrested in July 2025 without the presentation of a warrant and was later released on bail. At the time, his wife, Lova Samimi, was also detained and interrogated by security agents after she went to Kachouei Detention Center in Sari to inquire about his condition.

More recently, the Revolutionary Court of Juybar sentenced Hejazi to seven months and 16 days in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the state.” He was also convicted on the belief-based charge of “promoting the Baha’i faith” and sentenced to a substantial fine, as well as a 10-year deprivation of social rights.