According to the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR), the names of the people arrested are Niki Khanjani, Ashkan Besari, Maria Jafari and her son, Hooman Sisani and Romina Zobihian. Niki Khanjani is the son of Jamalodin Khanjani, one of the members of the now-dissembled Friends of Iran (Yaran Iran), the unofficial leadership group of the Baha’is in Iran. Jamalodin Khanjani was arrested along with five others members of the group in May of 2008 (another member was arrested in March 2008). Niki Khanjani’s daughter Lava Khanjani and her husband Babak Mobasher have been arrested on January 3 in Tehran on charges of instigating protests on Ashoura along with other eight Baha’is. Maria Jafari, who was arrested earlier this week is the niece of Payam Fanaeeian who was also arrested on January 3rd.
A report in the daily Javan newspaper that is associated with the Revolutionary Guard did not detail the charges against the five arrested, but claimed that Baha’is are now escaping Iran abroad and to remote border region after fomenting post-election protests.
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Bill
19 February, 2010
Thank you for continuing to highlight the persecution of Baha’is in Iran.
One grammatical correction. The word “dissemble” in English means “to hide under a false appearance; to deceive.” I do not think you meant that the Friends of Iran are dissembled but that they have been disbanded.
Human Rights Watch Issues a Statement on the Violation of Baha’i Rights in Iran
25 February, 2010
[...] the Ashoura protests (January 27, 2009). According to the Iranian regime, the Baha’is fomented protests, stored weapons and ammunition in their homes, sent photographs of protests abroad. These [...]