Additional Name(s): شعله شهیدی

Gender: Female

Perpetrator: Iran

Religion or Belief: Bahá`í

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: July/13/2022

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Unknown

Sholeh Shahidi

Extra Bio Info:

Sholeh Shahidi was detained for her religious belief and activity.

On July 13, 2022, authorities arrested Shahidi and her two sons in Bojnurd, North Khorasan province, reportedly in relation to their being Baha'i.

On August 4, 2022, Shahidi was released on bail.

Related Cases: Faran Senai, Shayan Senai

Publicly Available Information:

Additional Name(s): Suri Babaei Chegini, سوری بابایی چگینی

Gender: Female

Perpetrator: Iran

Religion or Belief: Unspecified

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Appearance Resisting State-Imposed Religious Systems Women’s Rights

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

Soori Babaei Chegini

Extra Bio Info:

Soori Babaei Chegini was detained for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On July 13, 2022, authorities arrested Chegini from her brother's home in Qazvin after she posted a video of herself in support of the "No to mandatory hijab" campaign and removing her religious head covering in public.

In January 2023, Chegini was reportedly released on bail.

In January 2023, Chegini was reportedly arrested again.

In April 2023, Chegini was reportedly released on bail again.

In April 2023, it was reported that Branch 102 of the Mohammadieh City Criminal Court of sentenced Chegini to one month in prison for "pretending to commit a forbidden act," and six months in prison for "inciting people to commit immoral acts."

In June 2023, it was reported that Branch 3 of the Qazvin Revolutionary Court sentenced Chegini to one year in prison for "propaganda against the regime."

Chegini reportedly went on hunger strike following her arrest. 

Publicly Available Information:

Jul 14, 2022

Last month, USCIRF traveled to Abuja, Nigeria and met with Nigerian and U.S. government officials, religious communities, civil society representatives, and human rights defenders to assess religious freedom conditions and discuss threats facing Nigerians of a range of faiths and worldviews. The trip came following the U.S. State Department’s November 2021 decision to remove Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of international religious freedom after designating it as a CPC for the first time in 2020.

Commissioner Frederick A. Davie, who led that USCIRF delegation, joins us today to discuss his key takeaways from the trip and insight into USCIRF’s continued recommendation of Nigeria as a CPC.

Read USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report Chapter on Nigeria

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