[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