03 April 2026 :
April 2, 2026 - IRAN. Mandana Sotoudeh and Behzad Basiri, a Baha’i Couple, Arrested
Behzad Basiri and Mandana Sotoudeh, a Baha’i couple residing in Shiraz, were arrested by security forces on Wednesday, April 1. At the same time, their home was searched by agents, and a number of their electronic devices were confiscated.
Based on information received by HRANA, on Wednesday, April 1, security forces raided the home of Behzad Basiri and Mandana Sotoudeh. During the search, the agents confiscated these citizens’ electronic devices. The officers first arrested Mr. Basiri, who was at home, and then proceeded to arrest Ms. Sotoudeh at her mother’s house. During the search of the home and the arrest of these citizens, the agents did not present a judicial warrant.
So far, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for their arrest or the location where these Baha’i citizens are being held.
It is worth noting that Mahsa Sotoudeh, Mandana Sotoudeh’s sister, was also arrested by security forces in the city on March 29. Her arrest was likewise accompanied by a house search and the confiscation of electronic devices, and no information has yet emerged about her fate.
Notably, over the past decade, the Baha’i community in Iran has been targeted by security and judicial actions more than any other religious minority. A review of the annual reports by the Statistics, Publications, and Works Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran indicates that over the past year, an average of 62.41% of reports concerning religious minorities were related to violations of the civil rights of Baha’is.
