Eighteen days after Baha’i citizen Arsalan Yazdani was arrested, he is still being held in one of Evin Prison’s security detention centers.
Arsalan Yazdani was arrested on September 1, by security forces in Tehran.
He was detained after security forces raided his home and confiscated some of his personal belongings. He was transferred to an unknown location.
In a phone call with his family, Yasdani said that he would probably remain in custody for another two to three weeks.
According to a source close to Yazdani’s family, he has not been allowed to speak to his children until today. The source said that in his previous phone calls, he did not even know where he was being held.
Bahai persecution in Iran
The Iranian regime does not recognize the Baha’i community, with more than 300,000 members in the country. Instead, for four decades, the clerical regime has routinely harassed, prosecuted, and imprisoned Baha’is solely for practicing their faith.
In past years, scores of followers have been detained and harassed by Iranian authorities.
The regime severely restricts Baha’is right to education, including prohibiting Baha’i students from registering at universities and expelling them if their identities are discovered.
