Additional Name(s): ژوزف شهبازیان
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Rejected
Sentence: Reduced to 2 Years' Imprisonment (Originally 10 Years' Imprisonment)
Date of Detainment: August/30/2022
Date of Sentencing: June/7/2022
Date of Release: September/13/2023
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Practicing Religion as a Convert Religious Activity Religious Belief Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization
Joseph Shahbazian was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
On June 30, 2020, authorities arrested Shahbazian, a house-church leader, following raids targeting house-churches across several cities.
On August 22, 2020, Shahbazian was released on bail.
On June 7, 2022, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court reportedly sentenced Shahbazian to 10 years in prison for "founding or leading an organization that aims to disrupt national security" (Art. 498 IPC).
In August 2022, a Tehran appeals court rejected Shahbazian's appeal.
On August 30, 2022, Shahbazian surrendered into state custody to begin serving his sentence at Evin Prison.
In June 2023, it was reported that Shahbazian's sentence had been reduced to two years.
On September 13, 2023, Shahbazian was released from prison after reportedly being pardoned.
Related Cases: Malihe Nazari
Photo attributed to Article 18
"Iranian-Armenian pastor ‘pardoned’, released from prison" Article 18
Open Doors US, Tweet, June 4, 2023
"Decade-long prison sentence for Iranian Christian reduced to two years" Article 18
"Iranian-Armenian pastor begins 10-year prison sentence" Article 18
"سه شهروند مسیحی جهت اجرای حکم حبس احضار شدند/سند" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Joseph Shahbazian" United for Iran
"Christians lose appeal against imprisonment and fines for house-church activities" Article 18
"Seven Iranian Christians sentenced to total of 32 years in prison" Article 18
"Unprecedented bail demand for Iranian-Armenian house-church leader" Article 18
Additional Name(s): Ataollah Zafar, عطاالله ظفر
Gender: Male
Current Location: Evin Prison
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Bahá`í
Health Concerns: Heart disease, elderly
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes
Appeal: Reduced to 2 Years' Imprisonment
Sentence: Originally 5 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: May/1/2023
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Preserving Religious Sites & Sacred Lands Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization
Atollah Zafar is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
On May 1, 2023, authorities arrested Zafar reportedly in relation to his activities assisting Baha'i families seeking to bury their loved ones at a Baha'i cemetery in Tehran. During his arrest, law enforcement officials raided his home and confiscated his belongings.
In July 2023, it was reported that the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Zafar to five years in prison for “membership in illegal groups to disrupt national security.”
In October 2023, it was reported that Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeal had reduced Zafar's sentence to two years in prison.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Zafar was previously imprisoned for his religious activity.
On September 27, 2019, authorities arrested Zafar reportedly in relation to his being Baha'i.
On October 20, 2019, Zafar was released on bail.
On an unspecified date, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Zafar to one year in prison reportedly for "membership in organizations that aim to disrupt national security" (Art. 499 IPC).
On an unspecified date in 2021, Branch 26 of the Tehran Court of Appeals upheld Zafar's sentence.
On August 29, 2022, Zafar was taken into custody to begin serving his sentence in Evin Prison. He was reportedly 78 years old at the time. Zafar was reportedly arrested after appearing at a courthouse with a doctor's note saying he is not healthy enough to endure prison. Zafar reportedly suffers from heart disease.
In September 2022, Zafar was taken to the prison hospital and then later to Taleghani Hospital for treatment after unclear medical issues. Zafar was reportedly later taken back to prison without completing his treatment.
On October 29, 2022, Zafar was released on bail.
In February 2023, Zafar was granted amnesty.
Related Cases: Shadi Shahidzadeh, Mansour Amini, Valiollah Ghadamia
Photo attributed to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Ataollah Zafar" United for Iran
"دادگاه تجدیدنظر؛ چهار شهروند بهائی به حبس محکوم شدند" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Four Baha’i Citizens Sentenced Each to Five Years in Prison" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Detained Baha’is Taken to Revolutionary Court as Deceased Buried Improperly" IranWire
"Three Baha’i Citizens Arrested" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Four Baha’i Citizens Sentenced Each to Five Years in Prison" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"علیرغم عدم تکمیل مراحل درمان؛ عطاالله ظفر، شهروند بهائی به زندان اوین بازگردانده شد" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"علیرغم عدم تکمیل مراحل درمان؛ عطاالله ظفر، شهروند بهائی به زندان اوین بازگردانده شد" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
" عطاالله ظفر، شهروند بهائی جهت تحمل حبس بازداشت و به زندان اوین منتقل شد" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"دادگاه تجدیدنظر؛ عباس طائف و عطاالله ظفر، شهروندان بهائی به دو سال حبس محکوم شدند/ سند" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing
Religious Freedom, Violence, and U.S. Policy in Nigeria
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Virtual Hearing
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing on religious freedom, violence, and U.S. policy in Nigeria.
In June 2022, a USCIRF delegation visited Nigeria to assess religious freedom conditions on the ground. Through this visit and other research, USCIRF confirmed poor religious freedom conditions for many Nigerians. Spreading violence by a plethora of nonstate actors threatens religious freedom in a myriad of ways, including through militant Islamist violence, identity-based violence at the intersection of religion, ethnicity, and geographic heritage, and violence impacting worship for both Muslims and Christians. Poor governance and weak state capacity drive much of this violence. Religious minorities and individuals with dissenting beliefs face particular challenges in exercising their rights to manifest and express their beliefs freely, including the threat of mob violence and detention and prosecution by state authorities.
Religious freedom violations in Nigeria take place within a broader context of human rights abuses and growing atrocity risk. This hearing explored the drivers of violence impacting religious freedom in Nigeria, how religion serves as both a mobilizer of violence and a capacity for peace in Nigerian society, and how the U.S. government can adjust its policy to address atrocity risk and violence impacting religious freedom in Nigeria.
Opening Remarks
Panel