This week’s cases reveal a deepening pattern of prolonged, arbitrary arrest and imprisonment across multiple Iranian cities, with Baha'i detainees from Shiraz to Mashhad facing extended isolation, denial of legal counsel, denial of critical health interventions, and bans on family contact.
It was learned on 26 July 2026 that Mrs. Sima Sebto, a 54-year-old Baha’i resident of Shiraz, remained in detention for more than one month after her arrest and had been placed under new restrictions, including a ban on family visits and telephone contact. As her detention enters its second month, she continues to be held without publicly disclosed charges or any indication of when proceedings may conclude.
It was learned on 28 July 2026 that Mr. Behzad Yazdani, a 62-year-old Baha’i resident of Shiraz, remains in detention in Adelabad Prison without trial after 122 days. Despite the passage of more than four months since his arrest on 28 March 2026, no court hearing has been convened to examine the allegations against him. Mr. Yazdani has also been denied access to legal counsel throughout his detention. As of the time of writing, neither the reasons for his arrest nor any formal charges against him had been publicly disclosed.
