Jailed Baha’i Describes Mistreatment and Asks Iranians to Call for Justice

In an audio recording provided to IranWire, Hami Bahadori, 26, a detained member of Iran's persecuted Baha’i religious minority, spoke of his experience during interrogation and imprisonment and his court appearances.

Bahadori was arrested on October 22 last year and is being held at Greater Tehran's Fashafouye prison. In his audio recording, he spoke to his fellow Iranians, asking them to speak out for him and to support his quest for justice.

He also asked that citizens take a few moments to listen to his story and understand the plight of Baha'is in the Islamic Republic.

"I am Hami Bahadori, an Iranian, a Baha'i, and a detainee,” he said in the recording, before proceeding to describe the illegal attack by the Ministry of Intelligence on his home five months ago and explaining that he was arrested without a warrant being issued against him.

Agents raiding his home confiscated his and his family’s belongings, including books, documents, devices and even jewellery.

He went on to detail the physical and mental torture he has endured in prison.

“I was kept outside for hours in the cold air, denied access to the toilet, and threatened with execution,” Bahadori said.

“They even tried to force me to divorce my wife,” he added. “I was forced to answer their questions about every detail of my life and was put in front of a camera where they demanded that I give my final will before executing me. After filming, they coerced a confession from me.”

He then described the 17 interrogations he endured over an 80-day period.

His interrogators were fixated on his Baha’i beliefs, he said, and for three months they did not allow him to appoint a lawyer of his choice. He was forced to sign papers without reading them when in the prosecutor’s office. The only paper he was able to read was his charge sheet. 

"But it was blank," he said in the recording. 

Bahadori explained that he was kept in custody and transferred to Fashafouye Prison, without being convicted, by the prosecutor of Branch 2 of the capital's Revolutionary Court Mahmoud Haji Moradi.

The prosecutor then sent Bahadori’s case to Judge Abul Qassem Salvati – who did not allow his lawyer to access the file case or even enter his office for over two months.

Bahadori also described his trial. "On the night of March 4, after the prison phones were cut off, prison officials informed me that I would be sent to court the next morning. On the morning of March 5, without informing my lawyer and before the phones were reconnected, I was sent to the court in handcuffs and my feet in chains, as if I were a dangerous criminal. After a few hours of waiting, I was sent to Judge Salvati's office, for only five minutes, which was the entire time of my court session. It was evident that the judge had not reviewed my case even once during those two months.”

“The main charge against me was promoting the Baha'i faith,” Bahadori added. “I requested the presence of my lawyer and access to my indictment documents and explanations of my charges. The judge only accepted the request for the presence of a lawyer and informed me that he could sentence me to five years in prison. In the same week, the judge told my lawyer that he would not release me on bail or a general amnesty order because I am a Baha'i, and scheduled the next hearing for three months later, on June 10."

In another part of the audio clip Bahadori explains that, throughout his detention, the charges and details of his case were kept confidential. Whenever his family attempted to inquire about his case, they were either met with “lies or were treated inappropriately,” and driven away. 

The family was also repeatedly informed that the law did not apply to those who followed the Baha'i faith.

The 26-year-old said, "I refuse to be a victim, and I will not remain silent any longer. I am seeking justice and will fight for it.”

During a previous imprisonment at Evin Prison, he contracted covid, and although he suffered from the disease for a month, he was not given any special treatment. Furthermore, during his detention, he was afflicted with a digestive illness and its effects persist to this day.

During his current detention, after being interrogated for 80 days, Bahadori was moved to Fashafoyeh’s general ward. Due to his status as a Baha'i, he has not been granted leave or temporary release to date.

"Now, I ask for your help in being my voice and obtaining the justice I deserve," he concluded.