Iranian Authorities Free Two Jailed Baha’is

Iranian authorities have released two members of the country’s persecuted Baha'i religious minority who were detained earlier this year, IranWire reports.

The terms of Elmira Rahmani and Nafisa Sa'adatyar's release on February 12 were not immediately clear.

Rahmani, a musician, was detained at her house in the central city of Isfahan on January 17. Her personal electronic devices and musical instruments were confiscated.

The artist has performed in the Isfahan National Music Orchestra and the city's Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sa'adatyar and her husband Pouya Amri were arrested on January 21 by intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) at their house in the northern city of Gorgan, according to IranWire sources.

There was no immediate information about Amri’s fate after his wife's release.

With 17 years of experience in teaching piano and music theory, Amri is a well-known musician in and around Gorgan. He has performed in various classical music festivals in Gorgan, Karaj and Tehran.

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

Those arrested are facing charges including spreading "propaganda against the system,” "gathering and collusion with the intention of committing a crime," "acting against the security of the country” and "membership in an illegal group.”