Steve Bosserman

Security Agents Raid Milad Aghdasi and Samiyeh Gholinejad’s Home in Yazd At approximately 11:00 p.m. on 19 October 2026, security agents forcibly raided the home of Mr. Milad Aghdasi and Mrs. Samiyeh Gholinejad, a Bahá’í couple residing in Yazd. The agents searched all areas of the residence as well as the couple’s personal belongings. The search continued until around 3:00 a.m. During the raid, the agents confiscated a number of the couple’s personal items. No information was available about the reason for the operation or the security body responsible for carrying it out. Mrs. Gholinejad, 32, who lived in Qaemshahr before her marriage, had previously been arrested there by security agents in September 2022, along with several other young Bahá’ís. She was released some time later after posting bail. In connection with that case, she was sentenced to two years and one month’s imprisonment; however, Branch 9 of the Mazandaran Province Court of Appeal later commuted her sentence to a fine of 50 million tomans. Mr. Aghdasi and Mrs. Gholinejad had also previously been targeted by security agents, who raided their post-wedding gathering at the home of Mr. Mahmoud Aghdasi in Yazd and disrupted the event. Mr. Aghdasi was also summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in May 2023. He was released after being interrogated and threatened. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #HomeSearches #MiladAghdasi #SamiyehGholinejad

Security Agents Damage Property During Search of Bahar Behifar’s Home in Yazd On the evening of 19 October 2026, Ministry of Intelligence agents raided a café in Yazd, where a group of Bahá’ís had gathered socially. The agents confronted those present, confiscated their mobile phones, and took a young Bahá’í with them to conduct home searches. The young Bahá’í was Ms. Bahar Behifar, daughter of Mr. Hormoz Behifar. Agents escorted her to her father’s home, which they raided and searched without presenting a judicial warrant. They searched the residence and its contents, emptying drawers and cupboards and causing significant damage to personal property, including a number of household items and belongings. A short time earlier, during a search of another Bahá’í’s home in Yazd, where Ms. Behifar and several other young people were present, her mobile phone had been left inside her vehicle. Agents took her to the vehicle and confiscated the phone. The other Bahá’ís present at the gathering were Mr. Shahin Daneshnia, Ms. Romina Pourmoradi, Mr. Kamyab Raei, Ms. Hania Taleie, Mr. Altaf Ghane, Ms. Parnia Basiri, Mr. Milad Aghdasi, and Mrs. Samiyeh Gholinejad. The agents declined to present a judicial warrant during these actions. When those present requested to see legal authorization for the search and confiscations, the agents stated only that they had received “orders.” Several of those at the café were also physically assaulted during the incident. That same night, security agents also raided and searched the home of Mr. Aghdasi and Mrs. Gholinejad, a Bahá’í couple residing in Yazd. Some of their personal property was damaged during the operation. As of the time of writing, no information has been made available about the reasons for the search of Ms. Behifar’s home, any charges that may have been brought against her, or the precise extent of the damage caused during the raid. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #HomeSearches #BaharBehifar #HormozBehifar

Bahá’ís in Yazd Face Home Searches, Summonses, and Prison Sentences From 28 March to 15 October 2026, Bahá’ís in Yazd faced a series of security and judicial measures, including searches of homes and a farm, confiscation of personal property, dispersal of a private gathering, summonses for interrogation, prison sentences, and enforcement of a sentence. On 28 March 2026, around 50 Bahá’ís in Yazd had gathered for dinner, in keeping with a local custom, when agents of the Intelligence Department dispersed the gathering and confiscated the mobile phones of those in attendance without presenting a judicial warrant. Despite most participants approaching the legal authorities to recover their belongings, as of the time of writing, the phones had not been returned to their owners. In July 2026, approximately 12 participants were also summoned to the Intelligence Department for interrogation. No information has been provided about the official reasons for the summonses or any possible charges against them. September 2026 saw the highest number of security measures during this period. Six homes belonging to Bahá’ís in Yazd were searched that month, and agents confiscated guests’ mobile phones as well as homeowners’ belongings. On 26 August 2026, security agents searched the home of Mr. Shahrokh Nasiri and confiscated the mobile phones of six guests. On 2 and 3 September 2026, six Bahá’ís were also summoned to the Yazd Intelligence Department for interrogation; no further information has been provided about the reasons for their summonses or the outcome of their interrogations. On 12 September 2026, security agents searched the homes of three Bahá’ís and confiscated mobile phones and books found there. The three individuals were not identified. On 13 September 2026, agents searched the home of Mr. Majid Ghane and confiscated mobile phones, a laptop, books, photographs, items related to the Bahá’í Faith, and his personal vehicle. Around eight guests were present, and the agents also confiscated their mobile phones. One guest, Ms. Parnia Basiri, did not have a mobile phone with her. The agents took her to her home, searched it, and confiscated all family members’ mobile phones and items related to the Bahá’í Faith. In total, mobile phones belonging to around 14 guests were confiscated at two gatherings described as taking place in September 2026; in one instance, a guest’s home was also searched. Additional security measures in October 2026 involved searches of four homes and a farm, three of the homes belonging to family members of Mr. Farhang Amiri. On 27 September 2026, the tenth anniversary of his killing, around 40 security agents went to his family home. Mr. Amiri, a 63-year-old Bahá’í, had been stabbed to death outside his home in Yazd on 27 September 2016. Following their arrest, two defendants in his murder case had stated that his religious beliefs were the motive for the murder. The agents conducted a lengthy search and confiscated mobile phones, personal belongings, and items related to the Bahá’í Faith. That same night, agents searched the home of Mr. Payam Amiri, son of the late Mr. Amiri, and the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Mrs. Neda Amiri and Mr. Maziar Mottahed, confiscating a number of their personal belongings. The psychological pressure caused by the agents’ presence and the search coincided with a deterioration in the condition of the late Mr. Amiri’s wife, Mrs. Mahnaz Foroudi, who was taken to emergency services. The agents had gone to the family members’ homes on the assumption that they had held a ceremony marking the anniversary of the late Mr. Amiri’s killing. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #HomeSearches

In February 2026, @IndianExpress published an opinion article by Nargis Gaur titled “In Iran, Bahá’is are the scapegoat, again,” examining the longstanding and systematic persecution of Iran’s Bahá’í community. The article traces decades of discrimination following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, including executions, imprisonment, property confiscations, the dismantling of Bahá’í institutions, and the denial of access to higher education. It highlights how false accusations and conspiracy theories have repeatedly been used to target the community during periods of political and social unrest. Gaur also draws attention to renewed accusations against Bahá’ís broadcast by Iranian state television in early 2026, including the February 1 airing of alleged “confessions” by two Bahá’ís on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The article raises concerns about the use of coerced confessions and the continued targeting of a religious minority amid wider repression in Iran. Through this historical and contemporary perspective, the opinion piece underscores the persistence of religious discrimination against Iran’s Bahá’ís and the importance of protecting freedom of religion or belief, human dignity, and equal rights for all. Read the full article: indianexpress.com/article/op… #Bahai #Iran #ReligiousFreedom #HumanRights #TheIndianExpress

ICL Notícias has reported on the ongoing repression of Bahá’ís in Iran, highlighting warnings from the Bahá’í International Community about arbitrary arrests, forced confessions, false accusations, and coordinated disinformation campaigns. The article examines how Iranian authorities have repeatedly used the Bahá’í community as scapegoats during periods of national crisis, while representatives at the United Nations call for an end to religious persecution and for the protection of the fundamental rights of all Iranians. iclnoticias.com.br/minoria-r… #BahaiRights #HumanRights #ReligiousFreedom #Iran

In a video report (February 17, 2026) by Australia's @abcnews, journalist Nassim Khadem examined concerns surrounding the detention of Bahá’ís in Iran amid nationwide protests and an intensified crackdown by Iranian authorities. The segment featured testimony from relatives of those detained, including Tara Wiedemann, who expressed fears for the safety of her cousin, Venus Hosseini-Nejad. The report highlighted the arrest of a young man named Peyvand, who, according to a family member, was taken from his workplace by plain-clothes agents on January 8, 2026, without an arrest warrant. It also examined allegations of forced confessions broadcast on Iranian state television and concerns that Bahá’ís, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, were being singled out during a period of national unrest. Family members described their fears of severe prison sentences and possible executions, calling for greater international attention to those detained. The segment placed these individual experiences within the broader history of persecution against Iran’s Bahá’í community, which has faced longstanding discrimination since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Through the voices of affected families, the report highlighted the human consequences of arbitrary detention, the fear surrounding coerced confessions, and the importance of international awareness and accountability. Source: @abcnews instagram.com/reels/DU5LTmJA… #Bahai #Iran #ReligiousFreedom #HumanRights #ABCNews

In February 2026, @SBSNews reported on growing concerns surrounding the treatment of Iran’s Bahá’í community following the January protests, drawing attention to allegations against Bahá’ís, reported arrests, and a broader pattern of persecution. The report highlighted a statement by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence claiming to have identified a network of 32 Bahá’ís allegedly involved in the unrest, with 12 reportedly arrested. It also referenced findings released by the Bahá’í International Community and Human Rights Watch in December 2025, documenting more than 750 incidents of persecution between June and November 2025, three times the number recorded during the corresponding period in 2024. Revisiting this report eight months after its publication provides an opportunity to reflect on the concerns raised at the time and the importance of documenting the experiences of religious minorities. Featuring an interview with Vesagh Sanai, a representative of the Bahá’í International Community in Australia, the SBS Persian segment offers insight into the challenges facing Iran’s Bahá’ís and the broader questions of religious freedom, human rights, and international accountability. Listen to the full SBS Persian report: sbs.com.au/language/persian/… #Bahai #Iran #ReligiousFreedom #HumanRights #SBSPersian