The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization has arrested 13 members of the Baha’i religious minority in Iran in Isfahan.
The IRGC accused them of promoting their religious beliefs through virtual classes for children and teenagers.
In a statement quoted by the semi-official ISNA news agency, the IRGC Intelligence Organization claimed the detainees were engaged in “altering Islamic lifestyles through promoting promiscuity, dog walking, and mixing of girls and boys.”
The statement did not disclose the identities or whereabouts of those arrested.
The Islamic Republic’s security forces also arrested eleven Baha’i women in Isfahan last week and transferred them to prison to serve five-year sentences.
The women, including Roya Azadkhosh, Nasrin Khademi, and Mojgan Pourshafi, were sentenced by the 37th Branch of the Isfahan Court of Appeals.
Security forces also attempted to arrest Nushin Vojdani at her residence but left upon discovering she was traveling.
Reports indicate that agents climbed over the wall of Roya Azadkhosh’s home, entered without permission, and detained her.
In another incident, agents rang the doorbell of the upper floor of Sanaz Rasteh’s building, entered the premises, and accessed her apartment without prior notice.
The women were initially arrested in April 2021 and temporarily released on bail in May 2021. On Wednesday, they were taken from their homes to begin serving their sentences.
For decades, Baha’is in Iran have faced systematic discrimination, as the Islamic Republic does not recognize their faith.
The government often accuses Baha’is of espionage or opposition to the regime, but the Baha’i international community maintains that no evidence has been provided to support these claims.
Source » iranwire