Authorities’ Silence towards Shutting down of 102 Baha’i Owned Businesses in Mazandaran Province

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017 admin

HRANA News Agency – By passing of more than 3 weeks since 93 Baha’i businesses were shut down in the province of Mazandaran and by passing of months since 9 Baha’i businesses were shut down in Tonekabon, relevant authorities have not given any formal and legal respond to the owners of these businesses. According to verbal statements made by relevant authorities, the warrant for closing and shutting down of Baha’i’s businesses in Mazandaran has been approved by the security council of this province; However in this 3 weeks, not even one of them has been able to meet the governor of Mazandaran (Dr. Rabi Fallah Jelodar). The prosecutor of Mazandaran (Assad Allah Jafari) and the head of judiciary in Mazandaran (Hojat AlIslam Mohammad Ali Taghavi Fard) have also stated that the closing of Baha’i businesses in this province has nothing to do with the judiciary of the province. Despite the repeated inquiries and visits to the provincial government by the owners of these businesses even their letters have not been recorded by the provincial government. Relevant unions either say that they are unaware of these closures or excuse themselves from the responsibilities of these closures. In personal visits of the owners of these business, the monitoring commission refuse to visit, record or register the complaints.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), despite passing of more than a month since the Baha’I businesses of Mazandaran Province have been shut down, judiciary and governmental authorities have kept their silence and the judiciary of the province has stated the closures have nothing to do with the judiciary.

It has been reported that, despite the attempts of Baha’is to solve this issue, even some of the authorities in the provincial government prevent the Baha’is from visiting the governor of the province. The efforts to stop Baha’i business owners from meeting the governor of the province is to the extent that 5 of the Baha’i business owners of Qaem shahr that their business have been shut down on the first and second of November, were arrested upon their inquiry at the provincial government. The process of arrest and before the arrest has been video recorded by the authorities, nevertheless the authorities have not provided any evidence proving that the arrestees have formed a protest, chanted slogans or raised placards. Behnam Mirzaee, Arsham Golpour, Nima Nokhah, Shahrouz Zamani, Soheil Haghdoost are those who have been arrested on the 8^thof November while visiting the provincial government. On the 17^th November, the mentioned were released after 9 days on a 20 million Toman bail.

The monitoring public places police authorities have signed the conditions to reopen the Baha’i owned businesses and have asked for commitments as follow:

“I, ……… , hereby commit to close my business on the national holidays and to comply with the trade laws, and also one week in advance of my religious holidays report to the union, guilds and police and if permitted then close my business for the holidays. Otherwise I should be confronted in accordance to the law.”

This is while according to section B of Article 28 of the trade Law, the owner of any business could close its business for 15 days annually without reporting to the unions. Additionally, it is the union responsibility to handle the closing of businesses, where as in Mazandaran the “monitoring public places police” has been directly shutting down businesses. It worth mentioning, “monitoring public places police” is only an executive organ, but in Mazandaran all the issues in regard to shutting down the Baha’i owned business are referred to this organ, and other organs such as the Union Monitoring Commission refuses to receive complaints from the Baha’is and refers them to the “monitoring public places police” to inquire about their complaints.

Below is the list of the businesses owners and their businesses in Mazandaran which have been shut down on the 1^st and 2^ndof November – Coincided with the birthday of Báb and Bahá’u’lláh – :

– Nowshahr (7 businesses) –

Behshad Derakhshan, security systems retail
Riaz allah Haroudi, Watch Making
Monib Mansour, Optician
Bahman Rohani, Photography
Raki Yousefi, Optician
Arastoo Asadi, Welding shop
Arash derakhshanian, Mechanic Shop

– Qaem shahr (31 businesses) –

Fariborz Sabeti, Appliance Repair shops
Naeem Samimi, Body Shop
Rezvane Samiee, body shop
Akbar Goli, Producing machinery for confectionery shops
Nima Miri, Cosmetic store
Fazel Asadi, Mobile repairs
Shayan Ghadami, Paint shop
Zekr Allah Akbari, Welding shop
Shahin Akbari, Metal trade shop
Fariborz Sanaee, Plastic retail
Zekr Allah Babaee, Grocery store
Atr Allah Movafagh, Refrigerator production
Daryoush Bakhtiari, Car studio
Saeed Asadi, Automotive repair
Jalal Ataeeyan, Sanitary/health shop
Shahrokh Asadi, Refrigrator production
Zahra Golabian, Optician
Jhoubin yousefi, Alarm system retailor
Sohrab Laghaee, Optician
Farzad Sabeti, Car service and oil change shop
Changiz Derakhshanian and nima Vakhah, Toy store
Kourosh Ahmadzadegan, Security systems store
Aladdin mirzaee, Security systems store
Houman Rostami, Alarm system retail
Shahram and Shahrouz Zamani, Spare parts for cars retail
soheil Haghighatdoost, Optician
Bahedin Samimi, Stationary shop
Behnramm and Behdad Shirvani, Appliance Repair
Nourallah Ataeeyan, Motor winding shop
Bahram Sefri, Electronics store
Sohel Ahmadzadegan, Glue store
Mehrpouya Fadaee, Appliance Repair

-Sari (42 businesses)-

Mansour Mehrchi, Cosmetic distributor
Zaat Allah Daraee, Carpenter
Sohrab Zahedi, Stationary shop
Saed Andkhas, Clothing store
Gelordi Movafaghi, Carpenter
Nima Shabrokh, Cosmetic store
Yaghoub Akbari, Appliance repair
Arman Safee, Stationary shop
Adel Samimi, Anti-theft doors shop
Nourgol Goli, Mechanic Shop
Farhad Razghi, Cosmetic Distributor
Kamal eldin Akbari, Woodturning shop
Aman Allah Zahedi, Carpenter
Kourosh Ahmadi, Car repair shop
Kourosh Moradi, Carpenter
Asghar Movafaghi, Carpenter
Hossein Ahmadi, Carpenter
Mehryar Ghanbari, Security System installation
Zia Allah Khoshbin, Building/ Construction paint store
Ashkan Khalili, Electric motor windings shop
Naeem Kamali, Appliance repair
Ramin Mousavi, Building decorations shop
Ehsan Sanaee, Cosmetic store
Bahman Zabihi, Accessories store
Behzad Zabihi, Optical store
Shahriyar Foroughian, Electric motor windings shop
Behrouz Yousefi, Appliance repair
Vahid Golpour, Clothing store
JahanBakhsh Movafaghi, Woodturning shop
Mohammad Movafaghi, Carpenter
Akbar Hosseini, Wood shop
Ghavam Edin Sabetian, Carpenter
Hesam Yousefi, Carpenter
Zargham Zamani, Clothing store
Nima Mahinbakht, Security systems retail
Pejman roshankouhi, Tools store
Shahram Nobakht, Tools store
Shahab nobakht, Tools store
Behrouz Yousefi, Appliance repair
Aramesh Andkhas, Clothing store
Marhoum ZekrAllah Rahmanian, Optical shop

-Tonekabon (6 Businesses) –

Misagh Esmail Zadegan, Phone repairs
Noushin MAsoudian, Clothing store
Syrous Nasiri, Cabinet making
Saleh Ashkourian, Appliance store
sina Garshasbi, Carpet retail
NAeem Khalajabadi, Furniture fabrication

– Fereydoun Kenra (one business)-

Afshin Azadi, Clothing store

– Bahnemir (two businesses) –

ahmad Niknejad, Repair and sale of gas working appliances
Feyz Allah Niknejad, Bicycle shop

– Amol (4 Businesses) –

Ser Allah Hekmat Shoar, Store owner
Afshin Sobati, Shoe store
Daryoush Talaee, Optical shop
Farshid Kian, Optical shop

For almost a year 4 other businesses are shut down in Tonekabon and Nashtaroud. These businesses are as follow:

Aghayan Rouh Allah Eyghani, Refrigrator repairs
Michael EsmailPour, Air-conditioning systems store
Khalil Naghipour, Air-conditioning systems store
Sanahiye Kandy, Security store

Also 4 more stores have been shut down since May 2016

Mahyar Lotfi, Household Appliances
Jamal edin Esmaeelpour, Refrigerator spare parts
Mahvash Khazei, Furniture store

102. Soroush Garshasbi, Household Appliances

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