Detention of Baha'i Citizens in Connection with the January 2026 Nationwide Protests
Following the nationwide protests in January 2026 and the intensified security atmosphere across various Iranian cities, numerous reports regarding the detention of Baha'i citizens have been published by human rights organizations. A review of these cases reveals that the arrests have primarily involved security forces raiding homes or workplaces, widespread seizure of personal and electronic belongings, failure to provide clear judicial warrants, and holding detainees in a state of legal limbo without formal charges.
These arrests coincide with claims by the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic regarding the identification of a "32-member network of Baha'i cult members." These allegations, made without providing clear evidence, accuse Baha'i citizens of playing a role in "riots and acts of destruction."
Data collected indicates a common pattern in most cases, including:
• Detention by security or intelligence forces, often without presenting a valid judicial warrant.
• Searches of homes and workplaces and the seizure of mobile phones, laptops, cameras, religious books, and personal effects.
• Families being left in the dark regarding the whereabouts and legal status of the detainees.
• Lack of access to legal counsel and a total absence of information regarding the charges.
• Transfer of some detainees to facilities such as Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad after days of enforced disappearance.
Mashhad
Reports suggest the number of detained Baha'i citizens in Mashhad has reached at least 14:
• Payam Faridian, a ceramic artist and photographer, was arrested on January 22, 2026, and transferred to Vakilabad Prison. At the time of arrest, officers seized all camera memory cards and electronic devices.
• Sepehr Koushk-Baghi and Afarin Bashash were detained on January 10 and 11, respectively. After being held in security detention centers, they were transferred to Vakilabad Prison.
• Navid Irani, a photographic artist, was arrested simultaneously with the Ministry of Intelligence’s announcement regarding the "32-member network."
• Erfan Tabatabaei and Rabih Maleki were detained during the protests on January 8 and 9. As of this report, their case status and charges remain unknown.
• Ghazaleh Ra'yat was arrested at her workplace in late January and is being held in Vakilabad Prison.
Kerman
In Kerman province, at least six Baha'i citizens have been detained:
• Venus Hossein-Nejad, 28, was arrested at her workplace on January 15 and taken to an unknown location. Her family remains uninformed of her whereabouts or the charges against her.
• Rozhin Hosseini-Nejad, 19, was arrested on January 24, 2026, following a home search and the seizure of electronic devices.
• Ailin Sahragard was arrested on January 13 during a raid by eight security officers on her family home. Officers refused to present a warrant. After six days of being held incommunicado, she was transferred to Kerman Prison, where she remains in temporary detention.
• Peyvand Naeimi, a dog trainer and behaviorist, was arrested at her workplace on January 8; no information is available regarding her place of detention.
• Adib Shahbazpour, a 30-year-old tennis coach, was arrested on January 19 and taken to an unknown location.
• Artin Ghazanfari, a photojournalist, was arrested on January 19 after hours of searching his home and workplace. He has a prior history of detention dating back to January 2010.
The Tasnim News Agency, quoting the Public Relations of the IRGC’s Thar-Allah Corps in Kerman, described these arrests as part of identifying "an organized Baha'i network active in the riots."
Yazd
• Moein Mohammadi, a Baha'i resident of Yazd, was arrested on January 5 and taken to an unknown location after a home search. He has previously faced convictions due to his religious beliefs.
Zahedan
• Forough Ram, a Baha'i citizen, was arrested on January 20 following a raid by armed officers on her home in Zahedan. To date, no information regarding her location or charges has been released