Hengaw's Statistical Report on the Violation of the Rights of Religious Minorities in Iran During the First 6 Months of 2024

Hengaw: July 18, 2024

Based on the statistics recorded in the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization of Human Rights, during the first six months of 2024, at least four Sunni Kurdish activists, who were previously arrested and sentenced to death for their religious activities, have been executed. Additionally, at least 34 activists of religious minorities have been sentenced to a total of 159 years, 11 months of imprisonment, and 148 lashes. During this period, at least 65 activists of these minorities have been arrested by the security institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Constitutional Context

According to Article 12 of the Constitution of Iran, the official religion in Iran is Islam and the Jafari (Twelver Shia) school, and this principle cannot be changed forever. However, the same article recognizes Islamic schools such as Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanafi, Hanbali, and Zaidi. In Article 13, it supports Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity as the only recognized religious minorities. Other religions, such as the Baha'i faith and Yarsanism (a religion whose followers are more than 90% Kurds), are not recognized, leading to systematic violations of their rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Executions of Sunni Religious Activists

In the first six months of this year, the sentences of at least four Sunni and Kurdish religious activists from the cities of Saqqez and Mahabad, who were arrested 15 years ago by the security agencies and later sentenced to death in unfair trials, have been carried out. Their names are as follows:

Dawood Abdullahi: A Kurdish prisoner of conscience from Mahabad, executed on January 2, 2024, in Qazalhasar prison in Karaj.
Farhad Salimi: A Kurdish prisoner of conscience from Saqqez, executed on January 23, 2024, in Qazalhasar prison in Karaj.
Anwar Khezri: A Kurdish prisoner of conscience from Mahabad, executed on May 1, 2024, in Qazalhasar prison in Karaj.
Khosro Besharat: A Kurdish prisoner of conscience from Mahabad, executed on May 15, 2024, in Qazalhasar prison in Karaj.
Issuing Sentences of Imprisonment and Flogging for at Least 34 Activists of Religious and Religious Minorities

Issuing Sentences of Imprisonment and Flogging for at Least 34 Activists of Religious and Religious Minorities
 

Based on the statistics recorded in the Statistics and Documents Center of the Human Rights Organization, during the first six months of 2024, at least 34 activists of religious and religious minorities in Iran, including 17 women, were sentenced to a total of 159 years and 11 months by the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Two of them have also been sentenced to 74 lashes in addition to imprisonment each.

During this period, at least 23 Baha'i activists were sentenced to 110 years and 2 months in prison, 8 Christian converts were sentenced to 49 years and 9 months in prison, 2 Yarsan activists were sentenced to 2 years in prison and 148 lashes, and one Sunni activist was also sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment. Their names are as follows:

Baha'i

1. Faran Sanai, a Baha'i resident of Bojnord, has been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment by the 1st branch of the Revolutionary Court of Bojnord.
2. Shayan Sanai, a Baha'i resident of Bojnord, has been sentenced to 2 years and 2 months of imprisonment by the 1st branch of the Revolutionary Court of Bojnord.
3. Keyvan Rahimian, a Baha'i citizen living in Tehran, has been sentenced to 9 years in prison by the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
4. Shabnam Tebianian, a Baha'i citizen living in Semnan, has been sentenced to 6 months in prison by Semnan Revolutionary Court Branch 1.
5. Azita Rezvanikhah, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
6. Sholah Ashuri, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
7. Mojdeh Bahamin, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
8. Bushra Motahar, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
9. Sar Shakib, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
10. Samira Shakib, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
11. Roya Azadkhosh, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
12. Noushin Hemet, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
13. Shoorangiz Bahamin, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
14. Sanaz Raste, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
15. Maryam Khorsandi, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
16. Firouzeh Rastinejad, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
17. Farkhunde Rizvan P., a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
18. Mojghan Pourshafi Ardestani, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
19. Nasrin Khademi Ghagharkhi, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
20. Hamid Manzovi, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
21. Arshiya Rouhani, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
22. Arshiya Nabavi, a Baha'i citizen living in Isfahan, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
23. Payam Vali, a Baha'i citizen living in Karaj, has been sentenced to 1 year in prison by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj.

Christian Converts

1. Laleh Saati, a Christian convert, has been sentenced to 2 years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court headed by Judge Iman Afshari.
2. Ismail Narimanpour, a Christian convert from Ahvaz, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by the third branch of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court headed by Judge Fathinia.
3. Yasin Mousavi, a Christian convert from Izeh, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by the third branch of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court headed by Judge Fathinia.
4. Hamid Afzali Nokish, a resident of Ahvaz, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz.
5. Nasrullah Mousavi, a convert living in Ahvaz, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz.
6. Bijan Qolizadeh, a convert living in Ahvaz, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz.
7. Iman Salehi, a convert living in Ahvaz, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz.
8. Zahrab Shahabi has been sentenced to 9 months of imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz.

Followers of Yarasan Religion

1. Poriya Menti, a Kurdish citizen and follower of the Yarsan faith and a resident of Sahne City, has been sentenced to 1-year of imprisonment and 74 lashes.
2. Shoja Menti, a Kurdish citizen and a follower of the Yarsan faith, and a resident of Sahne city, has been sentenced to 1-year imprisonment and 74 lashes.

Sunni
1. Mohammad Khizranjad, a religious activist from Bukan, was sentenced to death by Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Reza Najafzadeh. His sentence was recently overturned and sent back to the same branch.
2. Hasan Jangkhah, an activist from Selmas, was sentenced to 7 years in prison by the special clerical court of Urmia.

The arrest of at least 65 activists of religious minorities

According to Hengaw statistics, In addition to these sentences, at least 65 activists from these religious minorities were arrested by Iranian security forces in the first six months of 2024. These arrests and sentences underscore the ongoing repression faced by religious minorities in Iran.

The verified names of the arrested Sunni citizens

Kurdish Sunni followers

1. Abdullah Azarang from Baneh
2. Nasrin Abdullahi from Baneh
3. Yasin Azami from Javanrud
4. Omid Khaki from Javanrud
5. Omid Badri from Javanrud
6. Anoushirvan Hoshangi from Javanrud
7. Peyman Visy from Javanrud
8. Ali Bahrami from Marivan
9. Ismail Parkhami from Baneh
10. Mohammad Parkhami from Baneh
11. Farouk Hosseini from Baneh
12. Osama Ayazi from Salas Babajani
13. Maziar Ahmadi from Salas Babajani
14. Shahin Rahmani from Salas Babajani
15. Arin Khalkhal from Salas Babajani
16. Barzan Yousefi from Salas Babajani
17. Hassan Jangkhah from Selmas
18. Dawood Vaisi from Saqqaz
19. Amir Firouzi from Saqqaz
20. Hossein Alimoradi from Sanandaj
21. Hadi Yusufpour from Piranshahr
22. Abdullah Barzgar from Sardasht
23. Nabi Veisi from Javanrud
24. Matin Mahdizadeh from Ashnoye
25. Seyed Ahmad Ahmadian from Salas Babajani
26. Kave Seyedzad from Bukan
27. Ako Zaini from Bukan
28. Yusuf Moulayi from Bukan
29. Dr. Ismail from Bolan

Followers of Baloch Sunnis

1. Ali Haider Alizahi from Zahedan
2. 18-year-old Aref Mohammadizadeh from Zahedan
3. Muavieh Rigi from Mirjaveh
4. Saeed Qanbarzehi from Zahedan
5. Omar Dastan from Rask
6. Noah Kohi from Rask
7. Saeed Zarnama from Rask
8. Abdul Ahad from Rask
9. Hadi Naroi, 17 years old from Iranshahr
10. Owais from Rask
11. Rafiullah from Rask
12. Walid from Rask
13. Saeed Sepahi from Chabahar
14. Mohibullah from Rask
15. Zahid from Rask

Sunni followers from Khorasan

1. Shamsuddin Motahari from Khawf
2. Gul Mohammad Mansouri from Khawf
3. Hossein Ahmad Shahidi from Khawf
4. Fazil Moradi from Khawf

Confirmed names of detained Baha'i citizens

1. Meysham Moqen from Shahrekurd
2. Soroush Iqani from Shiraz
3. Azita Foroughi Motlaq from Mashhad
4. Noushin Misbah from Mashhad
5. Roya Tateb from Shiraz
6. Sepideh Rashidi from Ahvaz
7. Nazila Khanipour from Rasht
8. Wasal Heravi from Rasht
9. Tahereh Nowrozi from Shiraz

The verified names of arrested Christian converts

1. Iman Golzar from Dezful
2. Laleh Saati from Tehran
3. Mina Khajovi Qomi from Tehran
4. Farrokh Kakai from Kermanshah

The confirmed names of citizens arrested following the Yarsan faith

1. Pouria Nemati from Sahne
2. Shuja Nemati from Sahne

The confirmed names of the arrested Gonabadi dervish citizens

1. Mazaher Heydari from Shahr-Kurd

Followers of the Shia religion

1. Mohammad Taqi Akbarnejad from Qom