Six Months Without a Word: Iranian Sunni Cleric Held Hostage to Pressure Son

Molavi Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of the southeastern Iranian city of Rask and a vocal critic of the Islamic Republic, has been in custody since August 20 last year.  

Reports from Baluch human rights media emerged last week suggesting that the 66-year-old cleric may have died due to torture. 

Amid mounting concerns in Sistan and Baluchistan province over Molavi’s fate, images surfaced showing two Baluch clerics meeting with him in Mashhad’s Vakil Abad prison. 

His son Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi, a former political prisoner known for his opposition to Iran's government, told IranWire that despite his father's heart condition, he hasn’t communicated with his family for the past six months. 

His father is a well-known advocate of the marginalized Baluch community and has criticized the Iranian government's oppressive policies in Sistan and Baluchistan. 

According to the Baluch Activists Campaign, Naqshbandi was contacted by the Chabahar Oil Company on August 20 to help solve problems regarding fuel quotas in the city. 

Accompanied by relatives, he traveled to Chabahar, only to be apprehended by security forces on the way. 

Witnesses say that Naqshbandi's car was chased and blocked by security personnel, who detained him and his son, Mohammad.

Following his arrest, state media quoted the provincial chief justice as accusing Naqshbandi of espousing the "strong" and "provocative" positions of the adversaries of national security and peace. 

The judiciary further claimed that Naqshbandi had incited "chaos" and "street riots" through his Friday prayer sermons.

In an official statement, the provincial judiciary asserted that Naqshbandi had been warned about his alleged violations and given opportunities "to rectify his behavior."

However, he persisted in his dissenting views, leading to accusations of "confounding the public mind through false speeches," "defaming the Islamic Republic system" and "acting against national security."

While his detained son was later released, the cleric remains in prison and has had no contact with his family.

Just two days before his arrest, Naqshbandi asserted his commitment to exposing the government's repression tactics and supporting protesters despite the threats he faced from security forces.

He also mentioned the pressure exerted on his son, stating, "You have made our lives unbearable. You have forced Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi to leave the country."

"But if you continue to apply pressure, I will be compelled to disclose everything. Even if I am killed or imprisoned, all these things will be revealed," he warned. 

His son Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi told IranWire: "We were unaware of his whereabouts, whether he was in Zahedan, Mashhad or elsewhere. Rumors circulated suggesting our respected father had been martyred under torture." 

"This sparked widespread concern, prompting the regime to allow two individuals to meet him. These two individuals visited our father in Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad," he added. 

Another son of the cleric, Mohammed Tayyab Naqshbandi, released a video message urging the Islamic Republic authorities to provide information about his father's health condition. 

Pictures of murals were shared on social media, reading: "If a single hair is harmed on Molavi Naqshbandi's head, we will turn Baluchistan into your graveyard."

Finally, on February 10, an alleged IRGC agent named Mohammed Shahozei shared a picture of himself with Molavi Naqshbandi, claiming it was taken in Vakil Abad prison.

Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi stated that his father has been denied the right to have legal representation.

This political activist also expressed concerns about his father's health: "Considering his age and previous stomach and heart ailments, we still have no information about whether he has been taken to the hospital or not."

According to him, the family is unaware of whether the cleric has been put on trial. 

After the two men met him in Mashhad’s prison, they learned that he had been kept in limbo for six months, confined in a cell with two other inmates. 

Father Taken Hostage to Pressure Son

Last year, Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi launched a new political movement against the Islamic Republic. 

Responding to a question about whether his father's arrest less than a month after the start of his political movement was aimed at pressuring him, he said, "This regime engages in hostage-taking in every sense of the word."

"They claim to adhere to Islam and the Quran, yet the Quran states that no bearer carries another's burden," he said. 

"If a father commits a crime, the son should not pay for it. If a brother errs, the other brother should not be held accountable. This regime, which professes Islam, lacks any semblance of its teachings.

"They aim to compel us to cease our resistance. However, we declared from the outset of my father's arrest that we will persist in our struggle against this brutal, bloodthirsty regime, even if my father's life is to be taken within those prison walls. 

"He is but one of the many innocents ensnared or martyred by the mullahs' regime. Thus, we will not yield."

Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi underscored that his father never sought refuge in silence: "Our honorable father wasn't among those clerics who turned a blind eye to society's pains, the nation's problems, and the oppressions inflicted upon the people. He consistently spoke out against oppression and injustice.

"I've observed my father not just as a parent but also as a Baluch, an Iranian, and a scholar — a steadfast advocate for righteousness and the downtrodden. 

"His voice always echoed the call for truth, teaching me invaluable lessons in courage, faith, life and humanity. He epitomizes resilience and fortitude.

"As he faces his third imprisonment at 66, he has never forsaken his commitment to the people, prioritizing their well-being over his own and his children's."