Baha’i Citizen Remains in Temporary Detention Without Formal Clarity on Charges

Information received by IranWire indicates that Pejman Zare, a Baha’i citizen residing in Shiraz, remains in temporary detention in a state of limbo at the city’s Adelabad Prison, nearly three months after his arrest.

According to received reports, judicial and security authorities have so far failed to respond to this Baha’i citizen’s requests, including his request for a referral to the forensic medical organization and temporary release on bail. Furthermore, Mr. Zare’s family remains uninformed about the details of the charges leveled against him.

An informed source told IranWire that the authorities have only informed his family that the Baha’i citizen faces “heavy charges” and that, for this reason, temporary release upon posting bail is not possible.

According to the information received, Pejman Zare’s case is currently in the interrogation phase at Branch 14 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court. However, in recent days, his relatives have been barred from visiting and following up at this branch, an issue that has heightened anxieties regarding the handling of his case.

Informed sources also told IranWire that Mr. Zare has been deprived of the right to freely choose a lawyer and was only permitted to select his legal counsel from the judiciary-approved list of lawyers, pursuant to the Note to Article 48 of the Criminal Procedure Regulations.

Pejman Zare was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents at his private residence in Shiraz on March 14 and transferred to a security detention center. According to the received information, he was transferred to Adelabad Prison following a period of interrogation accompanied by physical and psychological pressure.

This Baha’i citizen has an 11-month-old child. According to informed sources, throughout his nearly three months of detention, he was deprived of in-person visits with his family. Only in recent days, following his family’s deep longing and the restlessness of his young child, was he able to have an in-person meeting with his relatives for the first time.