[PROVISIONAL TRANSLATION FROM PERSIAN]
[Translator’s notes appear in square brackets.]
[Personal information has been redacted.]
[The excerpt below is from the section of the article that pertains to the Baha’i Faith]
[Adapted from website:] Human Rights Activists News Agency - HRANA
[Date:] 24 Shahrivar 1394 [15 September 2015]
This Year, More Than 1,700 Days of Illegal Sealing of 32 Baha’i Commercial Units in Sari
HRANA NEWS Agency – During the first six months of the year 1394 [2015/2016], 32 commercial units of the Baha’is of Sari have been sealed by the Public Places Supervision Office of this city, up to the publication of this news. According to the HRANA News Agency, the news organ of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, the main reasons for the sealing of the Baha’i commercial units in Sari are as follows:
- Closing of the Commercial Units During the Baha’i Holy Days: 12 Commercial Units
According to the Law of Trade Unions, amended in 1393 [2014/2015], Article 26, they can close their commercial unit for up to 15 days without notification, and according to paragraph 1 of the same article, the one who determines whether the closure is justified or unjustified is the Chamber of Guilds and not the Public Places Supervision Office.
However, [in the case of] the Baha’i merchants of Sari, whose shops have been sealed for this reason, a commitment was made to notify the union one week prior to the closure of their commercial [units], and in some cases the Baha’i merchants have been asked to undertake to close their businesses during the Baha’i holy days only with the permission of the Public Places Supervision Office.
- Not Having a Business Licence: 6 Commercial Units
- Absence of the Business Licence holder: 6 Commercial Units
Not having a business licence, according to the Law of the Trade Union, does not lead to an immediate closure of the shop after the owner is informed of this issue by the trade union. Rather, after finding out about the lack of a [business] licence, the trade union is obliged to warn the business and not seal the business.
Listed below are the cases related to those people whose commercial units were sealed for not having a business licence or a management card; this is because the approval of their business licence or management card had generally fallen into abeyance a long time ago, and is pending final approval of the Public Places Supervision Office. These people had referred to the Public Places Supervision Office many times but had not received a response.
Eventually, instead of issuing a business licence or a management card (considering the completeness of these individuals’ files), their business units were sealed due to the lack of a business licence or management card.
- Wholesale Ban on Baha’is in Sari: 10 Commercial Units
The economic harassment of Baha’is is carried out based on a document issued by the commander of the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran [NAJA] to the Police of the Public Places Supervision Offices throughout the country in Farvardin 1386 [March/April 2000]. This document was issued to control, restrict and monitor the actions of the Baha’is, and to provide the grounds for their identification and control. Also, preventing the career advancement and well-being of Baha’is has been one of the clear goals of the instructions issued by the commander of NAJA.
1- Akbar Hoseini
2- Farzin Movaffaghi
3- Zatollah Darabi
4- Sohrab Zahedi
5- Arash Sedghi
6- Pedram Ghanbari
7- Ghobad Zahedi
8- Safa Teimouri
9- Nima and Soheil Mahinbakht
10 - Omid Ghanbari
11- Bahram Gholinejad
12- Mehran Kamali
13- Mohammad-Ali Cheramin
14- Ziaollah Khoshbin
15- Ehsanollah Sanaie
16- Farshad Baghaie
17- Kamal Akbari
18- Ghavamoddin Sabetian
19- Aramesh Zohouri
20- Vahhab Darabi
21- Saied Goli
22- Taraneh Zahedi
23- Vargha Rowhani
24- Ehsan Izadi.
25- Ali Jazbani
26- Yaghoub Akbari
27- Payam Taghvaie
28- Sohrab Zahedi
29- Ghobad Zahedi
30- Arman Safaie
31- Shahab Nowbakht
32- Vedad Derakhshan