Additional Name(s): ساناز تفضلی
Gender: Female
Current Location: Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Bahá`í
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: November/22/2022
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Distributing Religious Materials Education Rights Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity Religious Belief Religious Instruction & Teaching
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Illegal Assembly Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials
Sanaz Tafazoli is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
On November 22, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Tafazoli in Mashhad in relation to her being Baha'i.
In August 2023 it was reported that the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced Tafazoli to six years and six months in prison for “forming a group to act against national security,” three years and seven months in prison for "assembly and collusion against national security,” and eight months in prison for "educational/promotional activities against Sharia.” During the trial, the presentation of “books and works related to the Baha’i faith” and the establishment of “educational groups for Baha’i children” were cited as evidence for the aforementioned charges. If her sentence is upheld on appeal, Tafazoli would serve six years and six months in prison as her sentences run concurrently.
Photo attributed to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"SANAZ TAFAZOLI" United For Iran
USCIRF Country Update: Religious Freedom Conditions in Iran September 2023
"Baha’i citizen Sanaz Tafazoli Receives Lengthy Prison Sentence" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Baha’i citizen Sanaz Tafazoli Arrested in Mashhad" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)