Additional Name(s): یلدا فیروزیان

Gender: Female

Perpetrator: Iran

Ethnic Group: Fars

Religion or Belief: Bahá`í

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Reduced to 2 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment

Sentence: Originally 5 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: April/30/2019

Date of Sentencing: December//2019

Date of Release: March//2020

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials

Yalda Firouzian

Extra Bio Info:

Yalda Firouzian was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On April 30, 2019, authorities arrested Firouzian and took her to an undisclosed location after raiding her home.  She and two others were accused of “unlawful membership of an illegal group aimed at disrupting domestic security,” “participation in, formation and administration of an unlawful group intended to unsettling national security inside the country,” and “taking part in action against the Islamic Republic regime in favor of opposition groups.” She was reportedly denied access to a lawyer.

In October 2019, the Semnan Revolutionary Court sentenced Firouzian to five years in prison for "membership in organizations that aim to disrupt national security (Art. 499 IPC) and "propaganda against the state" (Art. 500 IPC).

In December 2019, it was reported that the Semnan Court of Appeals reduced Firouzian's sentence to two years and six months in prison.

Firouzian was reportedly subjected to inhumane living conditions and prolonged solitary confinement throughout her imprisonment.

In March 2020, Firouzian was released following a state directive in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publicly Available Information:

Additional Name(s): جواد کریم‌زایی

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Iran

Ethnic Group: Baluch

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: August/8/2019

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Unknown

Javad Karimzaei

Extra Bio Info:

Javad Karimzaei was detained for his religious belief and activity. 

On August 8, 2019, intelligence officers reportedly arrested Karimzaei, a student at the Shorshadi religious school in Zahedan.

According to United For Iran, it is likely that Karimzaei has been released. 

Publicly Available Information:

Additional Name(s): بختیار عارفی

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Iran

Ethnic Group: Kurd

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Reduced to 1 Year, 6 Months' Imprisonment

Sentence: Originally 3 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: July/24/2018

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Association Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization

Bakhtiar Arefi

Extra Bio Info:

Bakhtiar Arefi was imprisoned for his religious association and activity. 

On January 25, 2015, authorities arrested Arefi, a teacher.  A month later, he was released on bail.

On February 25, 2017, Arefi was sentenced to three years in prison for "membership in organizations that aim to disrupt national security" (Art. 499 IPC).  United For Iran reports that this sentence was in relation to his alleged membership in "Jamaat-e-Dawat and Islah," whereas Human Rights Activists News Agency frames his arrest and sentencing in terms of his teacher union activities. 

On October 30, 2017, Arefi's sentence was reduced to 18 months in prison.

On July 24, 2018, Arefi was taken into state custody to begin serving his sentence.

On an unspecified date, Arefi was reportedly released from prison after completing his sentence.

Publicly Available Information:
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