Baha'i Citizen Arrested Again – After Previous Five-Year Jail Term

Security agents descended upon the Tehran residence of Keyvan Rahimian, a Baha'i citizen, and took him into custody on Tuesday. The motive behind his arrest and the specific charges against him remain undisclosed.

Shortly after being apprehended, Rahimian managed to make contact with his family, informing them that he had been transferred to Evin Prison, a notorious facility often used for prisoners of conscience and political prisoners.

Concerns for his well-being and the uncertain circumstances surrounding his detention have escalated within his family. And it is not the first time that Rahimian's family has faced such a distressing ordeal.

Rahimian previously endured a five-year sentence in Rajaei Shahr Prison. He was convicted at that time of teaching university-age young people, denied the right to attend Iran's public universities, and who were pursuing their education at the informal Baha'i Institute of Higher Education, or BIHE. The BIHE was established in the 1980s as an informal educational solution to the fact that young Baha'is were barred from higher education.

Rahimian was eventually released after serving his full sentence in September 2017.

The Rahimian family's Baha'i faith has already brought them significant loss.  

Rahim Rahimian, Keyvan's father, was executed in Tehran in 1986, due to his unwavering commitment to his religious beliefs. 

The Iranian authorities’ crackdown on members of the Baha'i minority appears to have accelerated since July last year. And the clampdown has continued after the eruption of nationwide demonstrations in September 2022, with dozens of arrests reported over the past few weeks.

Shia Islam is the state religion in Iran. The constitution recognizes several minority faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, but not the Baha'i faith.