Additional Name(s): Badi Khazei, بدیع خاضعی

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Iran

Religion or Belief: Bahá`í

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: 5 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: October//2022

Date of Release: December/21/2022

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief

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

Badie Khazei

Extra Bio Info:

Badie Khazei is detained for his religious belief and activity.

In October 2022, plainclothes officers arrested Khazei in Tehran. Khazei was later transferred to Evin Prison reportedly after authorities learned he was Baha'i.

On December 21, 2022, Khazei was reportedly released on bail.

In January 2023, it was reported that Khazei had been sentenced to five years in prison for "assembling and colluding to act against national security" (Art. 610 IPC) and one year for "propaganda against the state" (Art. 500 IPC). He is expected to serve five years in prison as the sentences run concurrently.

Publicly Available Information:

Oct 19, 2022

USCIRF Releases New Report on Blasphemy in Southeast Asia

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Blasphemy and Related Laws in ASEAN Member Countries – This report reviews blasphemy laws and their enforcement within the region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), highlighting recent cases and providing analysis on related laws. Blasphemy is defined as “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God or sacred things.”  In particular, blasphemy laws remain an ongoing religious freedom violation in Indonesia and Malaysia as well a potent tool for authoritarian and right-wing forces in Burma and Thailand. While many such laws are a legacy of colonialism, some countries in the region have expanded their legal restrictions in the subsequent decades since independence.

USCIRF has monitored religious freedom conditions in several Southeast Asian countries discussed in this report. In its 2022 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Burma as a Country of Particular Concern and place Malaysia and Indonesia on its Special Watch List. In 2020, USCIRF released a report on the global enforcement of blasphemy laws titled “Violating Rights: Enforcing the World’s Blasphemy Laws.”

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].

Additional Name(s): Deoria Jail

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: June/11/2022

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Unknown

Javed Mohammed

Extra Bio Info:

Javed Mohammed is detained for his religious expression and religious freedom advocacy.

In June 2022, police in Uttar Pradesh arrested Mohammed, a well-known Muslim activist, after accusing him of organizing violent protests against a Bharatiya Janata Party official who made comments perceived to be insulting to Islam. Mohammed had also been critical of the religiously discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act. Authorities briefly detained Mohammed's wife and kids before demolishing their home the next day.

Publicly Available Information:
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