Iran arrests Bahai minority members amid crackdown on protests

PARIS: Iranian authorities on Saturday announced the arrest of Bahai minority members, accusing them of orchestrating recent unrest, according to Tasnim News Agency.

The Bahais, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious community, have long endured harsh persecution, with the Islamic Republic frequently branding them as foreign spies with alleged ties to Israel.

The intelligence ministry stated, “A 32-member network of the Bahai espionage cult, involved in riots and acts of vandalism, has been identified. Twelve key operatives have been apprehended, while 13 others have been summoned.” Officials added that the network operated nationwide, including in Tehran, with its main base in Mashhad.

These arrests follow weeks of nationwide protests triggered by economic despair, which escalated into the largest anti-government demonstrations in over three years. Authorities crushed the unrest with a brutal crackdown, which rights groups claim claimed thousands of lives.

Human Rights Watch has previously condemned Iran’s long-standing oppression of the Bahai community, calling it a “crime against humanity.” While the precise number of Bahais remaining in Iran is unknown, supporters estimate that several hundred thousand still reside in the country.