Saman Ostovar

Saman Ostovar is a Bahai citizen from Karaj. He works in music business. He was arrested in a new wave of arrests of Bahai citizens in 2022.

In 2022, the Islamic Republic began a new wave of crackdown on Bahai citizens. The Islamic Republic arrested dozens of Bahai citizens in different areas of Iran and searched their homes. Some of them who had previously received prison sentences were sent to prison to serve their sentences and the security forces attacked Roshan Kooh village and destroyed the houses of Bahai villagers. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='41468'> <reference source='https://cutt.ly/CZEdp6Z'> Security forces arrested at least eight Bahai citizens and searched the houses of over 20 Bahai citizens in different cities. According to IranWire, Afif Naimi and Saman Ostvar in Karaj, Mahvash Sabet, Fariba Kamal Abadi and Soha Sabeti in Tehran, Bahareh Pazhgaleh in Shiraz, and Behnam Momtazi and Masoud Bahrami in Qazvin are among the arrested citizens. According to the report, the security forces searched the houses of Raheleh Kashani in Shiraz, Shadi Khassezad, Hadieh Ghiabi, and Farideh Hedayati in Mashhad, Nima Haghar, Nazila Haghar, and Soraya Manouchehrzadeh in Tehran, Pouya Sarraf, Bita Momtazi, Sabin Yazdani, Basir Heravi, Shaghayegh Keshavarz, Sara SHabanpour, and Mozaffar Nabili in Karaj, Azadeh Yaghini in Gonbad, and Shakib Masoumi, SHafagh Fahandezh, Neda Taefi, Afsoun Moodi, and Shaghayegh Pourenayati in Gorgan. They also confiscated some of their personal devices and belongings such as laptops, cell phones, and books about the Bahai religion. IranWire also reported that after the agents searched the house of Kamyar Habibi in Karaj, they took him to his workplace, and after searching the place they shut down and sealed it. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41545'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-36692/'> Mahvash Sabet, Fariba Kamal Abadi, Afif Naimi, and Saman Ostovar are still in lockup. An HRANA source reported: > Since Mahvash Sabet's arrest, despite her husband's efforts and repeated visits, she's been denied phone calls with family. HRANA reported that despite the medical examiner's opinion which states Afif Naimi is unable to serve time in prison, he is still being held in a security lockup in Karaj and hasn't had contact with his family for over three weeks. According to the report, Saman Ostovar is also in solitary confinement in a security lockup in Karaj and under interrogation. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42045'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-36999/'> More than 40 days after his arrest, he is still being held in solitary in one of the security jails in Karaj. HRANA reported that his family has tried to put up his bail twice but the case investigator has refused to accept it on each time. He has also been arraigned for different charges but his family twice in the Revolutionary Court of Karaj but his family has not been informed about them." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44013'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-37621/'> HRANA reported that Afif Naeimi, Saman Ostovar, and Kamyar Habibi are being held in Ghezel Hesar Prison. According to the report, Afif Naeimi and Kamyar Habibi were able to see their families for 15 minutes last week, but since ALL OF Mr. Ostovar's identifications have been confiscated, he has not been able to see his wife yet. According to HRANA, these Bahai citizens are charged with acts against national or international security and propaganda against the state. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='47443'> <reference source='https://rb.gy/l9r3ew'> The revolutionary court of Karaj sentenced 13 Bahai citizens to over 40 years in prison in a joint case. According to IranWire, These citizens were charged with "insult and education and propaganda against Islamic Sharia, participation in groups with the intent to undermine national security through promotion of Bahaism in children and youth," and "propaganda against the Islamic Sharia through coaching." Based on the ruling, Afif Naeimi was sentenced to seven years in prison, 50 billion rials in fines, five years deprived of social rights, two years exile from Alborz province, two years ban on leaving the country, and two years banned from any educational and cultural activities. None of the charges for the defendants were mentioned in the report, but based on this sentence it seems he was convicted of forming and managing illegal groups. Saman Ostovar and Kamyar Habibi were each sentenced to five years in prison, 500 million rials in fines, and similar social punishments, seemingly for the same crime of forming and managing dissident groups. Rameleh Tirgarnejad wife of Kamyar Habibi was sentenced to three years in prison and 300 million rials in fines, plus similar social punishments, seemingly for membership in illegal groups. Elham Shareghi Arani and Sabin Yazdani were each sentenced to three years in prison and similar social punishments, probably for membership in illegal groups. Bita Momtazi, Shahrzad Mastouri, Sadaf Shaikhzadeh, Mahsa Tirgar, Negin Rezaei, Sahba Adyani, and Nakisa Sadeghi were each sentenced to 25 months in prison, fines, and similar social punishments. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>