Ataolah Zafar

Ataolah Zafar

Attaollah Zafar is a Bahai citizen living in Tehran. He has been following up on the situation of Bahai burials for some time. A large number of Bahais have been arrested for their activities in this regard.

In the summer of 1988, more than five thousand political prisoners were executed in Evin and Gohardasht prisons in Tehran, and other prisons in Mashhad, Shiraz, Ahvaz, and some other Iranian cities. In addition to not officially accepting responsibility for this massacre, the government of the Islamic Republic has refused to reveal the burial place of the victims. Survivors and families of those executed say that hundreds of these political prisoners were buried en masse in Khavaran Cemetery, an area in the east of Tehran. After this massacre, this cemetery became a symbol of the seeking justice for the victims of the bloody 80s. The northern part of this cemetery, named Golestan Javid, is the burial place of Bahais, who have been oppressed and persecuted by the Islamic Republic over the years because of their religion. The Islamic Republic made many attempts to destroy the graves or change the burial place of the executed political prisoners by burying the deceased Bahais. Following the protest of Bahai families and survivors, the Islamic Republic, while putting pressure on Bahais, also arrested a number of them.​ <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

  • <coverage-outsourcing id='27140'> In a coordinated action, intelligence agents entered the homes of several Bahai citizens living in Tehran and Karaj and searched their residences. The officers seized some of these people's personal belongings. On this day, at least two Bahai citizens named Attaollah Zafar and Abbas Taef were arrested by the security forces after searching their homes and were taken to Evin prison. </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='27141'> He was released on bail </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='36902'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2021/hranews/a-31508/'> The sentence of imprisonment of Abbas Taef and Attaollah Zafar was confirmed by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeal headed by Judge Ahmad Zargar and Counselor Abbas Ali Houzan verbatim. They were previously sentenced to one year in prison by the Revolutionary Court on charges of "membership in illegal groups". </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='41650'> <reference source='https://cutt.ly/xCuvydL'> Attaollah Zafar was arrested to serve his sentence. According to IranWire, he had gone to the Evin Prosecutor's Office to hand over a medical certificate stating that he was unable to endure imprisonment, and he was arrested there and transferred to Evin Prison. Zhinous Forouten, a Twitter user who publishes news about Bahai citizens, wrote in a tweet that Mr. Zafar is suffering from heart disease. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='41895'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-36897/'> Following the deterioration of Attaollah Zafar's condition, he was first transferred to Evin Prison Hospital and then to Taleghani Hospital in Tehran. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='41896'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-36955/'> He was returned to Evin Prison without finishing his medical treatment. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='48699'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-39956/'> He was released on bail. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='48700'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-39956/'> His case was closed. On February 5th, 2023, the Islamic Republic's Judiciary issued a memo that announced the beginning of the process of releasing some of the protesters arrested during the 2022 national uprising. According to the judiciary's Mizan website, and latest comments made by the spokesperson for the judiciary, this "pardon" is in honor of the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and contingent on the prisoners expressing regret; The pardon is not extended to cases with charges such as "connection to dissident groups", and "destruction of public property". However, many of the released prisoners have posted videos and notes saying they never requested a pardon and never expressed regret. There are even videos of female activists taking off their hijab and chanting against the Islamic Republic in front of the prison moments after their release. The release of prisoners being called a pardon has caused massive reaction online and some activists on social media and human rights organizations consider it a PR stunt to repair some of the damage to Ali Khamenei's image. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='50812'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-40853/'> He was arrested. According to HARANA, Attaollah Zafar was taken to an unknown place after being arrested by the security forces at his private home. While searching the house, the officers also seized some of Mr. Zafar's personal belongings. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='51382'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/siminfa/status/1654129516149903368?s=20'> In a statement, the International Bahai community reacted against the burial of the bodies of the Bahai citizens of Tehran by government officials without informing the families of the deceased and allowing them to perform religious ceremonies. In this statement published by Simin Fahandej, the representative of the International Bahai Community at the United Nations, it is stated that "Masoud Momeni, an official at the Ministry of Intelligence, is asking for huge sums of money to allow the Bahais to bury their loved ones in their own cemetery. This request, which was not accepted by the families, was only presented verbally, and Mr. Momeni has not submitted any official written documents so far. It is not clear whether these exorbitant amounts should be paid to the Ministry of Intelligence, to another department, or to Mr. Momeni himself." The International Bahai Community has also announced that since the beginning of the new year, six citizens have been buried in Khavaran mass graves due to their refusal to pay the requested amount. According to the aforementioned statement, Momeni has buried the deceased Bahais in narrow graves, and in at least one case, two bodies were placed in one grave. The statement also mentions the arrest of four Bahai citizens, Mansour Amini, Valiollah Ghadamian, Ataollah Zafar, and Shadi Shahidzadeh. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='51816'> <reference source='https://rb.gy/k77zc'> IranWire wrote that the interrogators have pressured Shadi Shahidzadeh, Mansour Amini, Valiollah Ghadamian, and Attaollah Zafar to confess in front of the camera. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='51249'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-41139/'> Despite the passage of fourteen days since the arrest of Shadi Shahidzadeh, Mansour Amini, Valiollah Ghadamian, and Attaollah Zafar, they are still in the Ministry of Intelligence's detention center known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison. While announcing this news, HRANA wrote, quoting an informed source: > After ten days from the time of their arrest, their case was sent to the court, and they presented their last defense on Tuesday. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='51812'> <reference source='https://rb.gy/k77zc'> According to IranWire, the hearing of the case of Shadi Shahidzadeh, Mansour Amini, Valiollah Ghadamian, and Attaollah Zafar was held in branch 26 of the Tehran Revolution Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='53130'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-42037/'> HRANA reported that Shadi Shahidzadeh, Mansour Amini, Valiollah Ghadamian, and Attaollah Zafar were each sentenced to five years in prison for the charge of "membership in illegal groups and organizations with the intent to disrupt the security of the country". This sentence was issued by Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court headed by Judge Iman Afshari. Also, according to the verdict, additional punishments of two years of ban on leaving the country, two years of ban on residence in Tehran, and two years of ban on membership in political and social groups will be applied to each of the accused. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='53137'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-44223/'> HRANA reported that the Court of Appeal sentenced Shadi Shahidzadeh to five years in prison, Attaollah Zafar and Valiollah Ghadamian to two years in prison, and Mansour Amini to three years in prison. This verdict was issued by Branch 36 of the Court of Appeal of Tehran Province headed by Judge Abbas Ali Houzan and Counselor Khosrow Khalili Mehdriji. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='53756'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-45489/'> He was sent to Taleghani Hospital and admitted there. While announcing this news, HRANA wrote that Mr. Zafar is suffering from several diseases, including cardiovascular, due to his old age. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>