Two articles on the deteriorating circumstances surrounding Bahá'ís of Shiraz.
Excerpt:
...in response to her family's ongoing inquiries into Haleh's condition, the judiciary investigator recently said: "What happens if one of you dies, one less the better".
From iranpresswatch.org.
Imprisoned Baha'is Barred from Release despite Prosecutor's Ruling
Posted: 18 Apr 2009
Photo of Afshin Ehsanian
The following report was received on Thursday, April 16, 2009 and is offered below in translation (sources cited at the end):
Four Baha'is, namely, Mrs. Haleh Houshmandi, Mr. Kayvan Karami, Mr. Farhad Ma'sumi, and Mr. Afshin Ehsanian, who were arrested in the last two months, continue to languish in prison of the Ministry of Intelligence in Shiraz, known as Pelak 100.
According to a letter of the Prosecutor General of Fars province, they were scheduled to be releases from incarceration on April 4 on condition of bail and surety. However, the judiciary official investigating their case has so far refused to issue their discharge order and for this reason the four Baha'i continue to remain imprisoned.
After repeated visit by their families to various governmental offices requesting their release, it was announced that they would be allowed to go home after Naw-Ruz festivities [which were concluded on April 2].
On April 4, the Prosecutor General of Fars province issued a letter to the judicial investigator of these cases, indicating that bail was set for these individuals and they should be allowed to leave prison immediately. However, when the family followed up on this instruction, they were confronted with angry and inhumane response of the judiciary investigator stating that under no conditions would he accept the instructions of the Prosecutor General and allow these Baha'is to be discharged on bail.
During the last two weeks, many times the families of these imprisoned Baha'is have received threatening phone calls from the Ministry of Intelligence and in a number of instances these threats were accompanied with insults and accusations.
It should be noted that under intense psychological and physical pressures in the prison, Mrs. Haleh Houshmandi has developed severe heart conditions, but until now has been barred from seeing a physician or a specialist. Therefore, considerable worries about her physical well-being remain.
[Reported on Thursday April 16, 2009, by http://emails.mihanblog.com/post/87 and http://hra-iran.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=879:321&catid=84:502&Itemid=219. Translation by Iran Press Watch.]
Urgent Appeal by the Baha'is of Shiraz
Posted: 19 Apr 2009
Editor's Note: Iran Press Watch has received the following urgent request from the Baha'is of Shiraz. It is requested that this note be posted in as many other sites as possible.
By the Baha'is of Shiraz
Imprisoned Baha'is in Shiraz are being kept under inhumane conditions. They are held in small cells, in solitary confinement. These cells are about 2.2 meters x 2.2 meters wide, with an open washroom at the corner, and without any sort of windows, openings or ventilation system. Their bedding consists merely of two blankets on the cement prison floor. At present, there are seven Baha'i detained in the city of Shiraz.
Among them, the situation of Haleh Houshamandi-Salehi (arrested March 18, 2009), is the gravest (see http://www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/04/serious-health/). She has a heart ailment and her physician has stated that any stress or trauma will have an extremely serious impact on her health. Under the intense psychological and physical pressures of solitary confinement and ongoing interrogations, she developed numbness on the left side of her body to the point that she could not get herself up from the floor. After 22 days in solitary confinement, authorities transferred Halah Ruhi (detained since October 2007), to Haleh's cell. Although Haleh Houshamandi-Salehi is being given some medication in the prison, she is in urgent need of proper medical care and the attention of a heart specialist. Her family has taken her medical records to the detention centre, hoping for compassion and understanding.
However, in response to her family's ongoing inquiries into Haleh's condition, the judiciary investigator recently said: "What happens if one of you dies, one less the better".
Photo of Sooren Salehi
Haleh Houshmadi-Salehi's 8-year old son, Sooren, traumatized by the raid of his home and the detainment of his mother, often bursts into tears. The mothers of his classmates help their children with their homework, drop them off and pick them up from school, but the authorities have left Sooren without his mother. He says, "I feel like crying, but I try very hard and stop myself. I worry that my classmates will make fun of me". He often asks when his mother will be home, but no one has any answers to comfort this broken-hearted child.
On April 4, a bail was set by the Prosecutor General of Fars province for the release of four of the prisoners arrested in the last two months. However, the judiciary investigator stated that under no condition would he accept the instructions of the Prosecutor General and allow these Baha'is to be discharged on bail (see, http://www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/04/imprisoned-bahais-barred/).
A few days ago, an arrest order was briefly shown to a Baha'i that was being questioned by Islamic authorities. The arrest order was entitled: Arrest Warrant of all Connected Individuals. This revelation is very alarming as it indicates the authorities' intentions to use such broad reaching statements to justify numerous arrests. With such a vague and ambiguous warrant, any and all family members of the detained Baha'is can be considered "connected individuals" and any Baha'i can be considered a "connected individual" by virtue of their faith and their common beliefs. Their use of elusive terminology on warrants allows them to detain, question and arrest any individual for any period of time, at will, and without any further justification or clarification.
It is the urgent hope of the detainees' families that the ongoing atrocities against Baha'is are stopped, and that their loved ones, detained solely because of their beliefs, are released.
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