Thank you, @Reuters, for this important coverage of the lived reality of #Egypt’s Bahá’í community, whose members continue to be systematically denied some of the most basic human rights. “I am not asking anyone to accept my religion. I am asking them to accept me as a person in this country.” #egyptianbahairights Read more: reuters.com/world/africa/egy…

Three Bahá’í Youths Detained in Shiraz Denied Legal Representation and Communication On 14 September 2026, three Bahá’ís—Ms. Sarina Zaeri, Mr. Barbod Sepehri, and Mr. Arshia Jaberi—were arrested in Shiraz during simultaneous raids on their homes by security agents. The agents searched the three homes, confiscated personal belongings, and took Ms. Zaeri, Mr. Sepehri, and Mr. Jaberi, aged 20, 21, and 19, respectively, into custody. The three detainees were subsequently transferred to Soroush Detention Centre in Shiraz. More than three weeks after their arrest, they remain detained without a court hearing or any announced resolution of their cases and have been permitted only one brief visit with their families. They have also been denied access to legal representation and telephone calls. Their families have received no detailed information about the cases, the reasons for their continued detention, or any charges that may have been brought against them. The continued lack of information about their condition has raised concern about their well-being, particularly for Ms. Zaeri, who has an underlying respiratory condition. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #Imprisonments #SarinaZaeri #BarbodSepehri #ArshiaJaberi

Twenty-Six Bahá’ís Summoned for Ninth Court Hearing in Shiraz On 27 September 2026, several Bahá’ís in Shiraz received summonses in connection with the case commonly known as the “Shiraz 26 Bahá’ís case.” They were instructed to appear for the ninth hearing before Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court. One of the summonses specifies that the defendants must appear before the court at 9:00 a.m. on 11 October 2026. The 26 Bahá’ís named in the case are Mr. Esmail Rousta, Ms. Bahareh Nowrouzi, Mr. Behnam Azizpour, Ms. Parisa Rouhizadegan, Ms. Samareh Ashnaie, Mr. Farbod Shadman, Mr. Farzad Shadman, Ms. Lala Salehi, Ms. Maryam Eslami Mehdiabadi, Ms. Marjan Gholampour, Mr. Mahyar Sefidi Miandoab, Ms. Mojgan Gholampour, Mr. Nabil Tahzib, Ms. Nasim Kashaninejad, Ms. Noushin Zenhari, Mr. Vargha Kaviani, Ms. Yekta Fahandej Saadi, Mr. Ramin Shirvani, Ms. Rezvan Yazdani, Mr. Saied Hasani, Mr. Soroush Ighani Soghadi, Ms. Shadi Sadegh Aghdam, Ms. Shamim Akhlaghi, Ms. Sahba Farahbakhsh, Mr. Sahba Moslehi, and Ms. Ahdieh Enayati. The summonses state that the appearance is for judicial review of the case and require those summoned to attend at the appointed time and location with identification documents and any supporting evidence. The case began in 2016 with the arrest of the 26 individuals, who were released on bail after a period of detention pending further proceedings. Their charges were heard over three court sessions between June 2020 and May 2022 by Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Mr. Mahmoud Sadati. A preliminary verdict was issued in June 2022. The charges included, among others, “propaganda against the regime in favor of groups opposed to the Islamic Republic,” “managing anti-state groups,” and “membership in such groups.” The court of first instance sentenced the 26 Bahá’ís collectively to 85 years’ imprisonment, 24 years of internal exile, and 52 years of travel bans. The ruling was upheld on appeal, but the Supreme Court later overturned it and referred the case to a parallel judicial branch in Fars Province for retrial. #Bahai #Iran #Shiraz #Arrests #CourtProceedings #Shiraz26Bahais

At the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, Dr. Saba Haddad, representative of the Bahá’í International Community, drew attention to the ongoing persecution of Bahá’ís in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Despite their longstanding contributions to Yemeni society, Bahá’ís continue to face a systematic campaign of hate speech, incitement, and violations of their fundamental rights. The BIC called on all those shaping Yemen’s future to guarantee freedom of religion or belief and equal protection for all religious minorities, including Bahá’ís, in any peace agreement and, ultimately, the constitution. “Inclusive, lasting peace depends on all Yemenis living safely and contributing freely to their country.” #Yemen #FreedomOfReligionOrBelief #Bahai #HRC63

In a recent opinion piece in @thehill, writers Mia Emmunah Toubian and Jason Bryan Silverstein examine the closure of a refugee-processing center supporting the Lautenberg-Specter program, a pathway for persecuted religious minorities in Iran seeking resettlement in the United States. Baha’is are among the communities specifically mentioned. The article highlights their recent persecution in Iran, including arrests, interrogations, home raids and property confiscations, while placing their situation within the broader uncertainty facing thousands of Iranians in the refugee program. thehill.com/opinion/immigrat… #Iran #Bahai #BahaiRights #HumanRights #ReligiousFreedom

The @EIPR's latest report, titled "Erasure: Egypt's Systemic Campaign to Eradicate its Bahá'í Community," documents the ongoing persecution of the Bahá'í community in Egypt. In this video, @hossambahgat, Executive Director of EIPR, shares more about the report: "The Egyptian government moved from merely discriminating against Bahá'ís, solely based on their religious belief, 20 years ago, to a situation where difficulties are imposed at every stage of life for every Bahá'í citizen." Link to report: eipr.org/sites/default/files… #egyptianbahairights

@UN_HRC, 63rd Session — BIC Representative @siminfa delivers statement during interactive dialogue with the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran. #Bahai #HumanRights #HRC63

Arrest of Iraj Shakour in Tehran to Begin Serving Prison Sentence On 7 September 2026, Mr. Iraj Shakour, a Bahá’í writer and researcher residing in Tehran, was arrested after appearing before Branch 1 of the Sentence Enforcement Office of the Tehran Security Prosecutor’s Office, located at District 8 Prosecutor’s Office, and was transferred to prison to serve his sentence. He had previously been sentenced by Branch 36 of the Tehran Province Court of Appeal to five years’ discretionary imprisonment on the charge of “membership in hostile groups”. At the appellate stage, the court acquitted him of the charge of “propaganda against the regime”. Mr. Shakour had also previously been sentenced to imprisonment by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Seyed Ali Mazloum. Mr. Shakour, who is active in the fields of writing and research, had previously been subjected to interrogation before the issuance of the final verdict and had remained free on bail until the commencement of the execution of his sentence. As at the time of writing, he remains in custody to serve his five-year sentence, and no further information has been published regarding his place of detention or the status of his case. #Bahai #Iran #Imprisonments #Arrests #IrajShakour

Pedram Abhar Arrested and Transferred to Prison to Serve Five-Year Sentence On 7 September 2026, Mr. Pedram Abhar, a Bahá’í resident of Tehran, was arrested after appearing before Branch 1 of the Sentence Enforcement Office of the Tehran Security Prosecutor’s Office, located within District 8 Prosecutor’s Office, and was transferred to prison to serve his sentence. He had previously been sentenced by Branch 36 of the Tehran Province Court of Appeal to five years’ discretionary imprisonment on the charge of “membership in hostile groups”. At the appellate stage, the court acquitted him of the charge of “propaganda against the regime”. He had previously been sentenced to imprisonment by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Seyed Ali Mazloum. Mr. Abhar was arrested by security forces on 21 November 2021. After more than one month in detention, he was released on bail of 1.2 billion tomans on 25 December 2021 pending the completion of judicial proceedings. As at the time of writing, Mr. Abhar remains in custody for the enforcement of his five-year sentence, and no further details have been published regarding his place of detention or the subsequent status of his case. #Bahai #Iran #Imprisonments #Arrests #PedramAbhar

Arsalan Yazdani Suddenly Transferred from Greater Tehran Prison to an Unknown Location On Wednesday, 9 September 2026, Mr. Arsalan Yazdani, a 43 year old Baha'i prisoner detained in Greater Tehran Prison (Fashafuyeh), was abruptly removed from his prison ward and transferred to an unknown location. The move was carried out without prior notice to his family and since his removal there has been no contact between Mr. Yazdani and his family, and his whereabouts remain unknown. Mr. Yazdani was arrested by security forces at his home in Karaj on 22 August 2026 and transferred to Greater Tehran Prison to begin serving a three-year prison sentence. Mr. Yazdani's case dates back to 1 September 2021 when he was arrested by security forces in Tehran and held in a detention facility operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and then transferred to Evin Prison. After approximately one and a half months in detention, he was released from Evin Prison in October 2021 upon posting bail. During the subsequent judicial proceedings, Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced him to six years in prison. Upon appeal his sentence was reduced to three years’ imprisonment. As at the time of writing, no information has been released regarding his whereabouts or condition. The lack of information about his location and condition has caused concern among his family and close associates. #Bahai #Iran #Imprisonments #Arrests #ArsalanYazdani

Qatari authorities continue their campaign of systematic discrimination against the Bahá'í community, including the expulsion of four members who currently or formerly served in voluntary community roles, despite mounting international calls to end this treatment. This injustice demands sustained international scrutiny. Grateful to EU Special Representative for Human Rights @KajsaOllongren for drawing critical attention to this peaceful religious community's plight in #Qatar.

Qatar's ongoing discrimination against the peaceful Qatari Bahá'í community has raised fears of religious erasure of the community. In the recent development of deportation of four prominent Baha’is, Qatari authorities provided no official documents for the deportations, effectively depriving the four from following up their cases with the authorities, seeking asylum abroad, or appealing to international human rights organisations for help. Read more: bic.org/news/qatar-deports-f…

Austrian MP @Stoegmueller calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Peyvand and Borna Naimi, alongside all unjustly imprisoned prisoners of conscience. Peyvand and Borna Naimi have been arbitrarily detained since January and March 2026, respectively. His statement joins a growing chorus of parliamentarians and human rights advocates worldwide calling out the Iranian government's ongoing persecution and scapegoating of the Bahá'ís in Iran. #BahaiRights #PeyvandNaimi #BornaNaimi #Iran #HumanRights

@IranIntl reports on a coordinated wave of raids targeting Baha'is across seven provinces in less than a week. According to a statement received by Iran International, agents of the Islamic Republic raided Baha'i homes and workplaces, confiscating vehicles, cash, jewelry, computers, work tools and even children's toys. At least 11 people have been arrested. Iran International spoke with Vesagh Sanaei, one of the Persian spokespersons for the Baha'i International Community, about the escalating campaign of state theft and economic strangulation. #BahaiRights #Iran #HumanRights

The four Baha’is targeted by Qatar in the recent deportations have six dependents between them, and have held residency in Qatar for a combined 162 years. Over 20 Baha’i families, comprising about 50 people, have been forced to leave Qatar over the past 15 years in an ongoing campaign by the government to erase the Baha’is from the country. Promises from officials to resolve these cases have proved to be empty. Read more: bic.org/news/qatar-deports-f…

Thank you, Elliott Abrams and @CFR_org, for shining a light on Qatar's ongoing illegal and discriminatory actions against its Bahá'í community. "[Qatar] has found time throughout 2026 to persecute the small and law-abiding Baha’i community." Read more: cfr.org/articles/more-persec…