Payam Markazi

He has two daughters. His father was imprisoned and executed during the 1980s. During the same period, his mother was also imprisoned in Rajaee Shahr and Evin Prisons for more than five years. He is one of the individuals, arrested during the suppression of Baha’i citizens in Golestan province in 2012

<coverage-outsourcing id='11349'> Thirty-two Baha’i citizens, residing in different cities of the Golestan province, were arrested and placed on under pressure to accept the charges against them,beginning in September, during a year-long project called, ‘socializing with muslims and propagating for Bahaism.’The names of those arrested are as follows: Sheida Ghodousi, Pouneh Sanaei, Farahnaz Tebyanian, Farahmand Sanaei, Kamal Kashani, Behnam Hassani, Soudabeh Mehdinejad, Hana Aghighian, Shiva Rohani, Mitra Nouri, Nazi Tahghighi, Parivash Shojaei, Maryam Dehghan, Tina Mohebati, Payam Markazi, Foad Fahandezh, Siamak Sadri, Mona Amri, Roufia Pakzadan, Mozhdeh Zohouri, Parisa Shahidi, Houshmand Dehghan, Farhad Fahandezh, in Gorgan; Shahnam Jazbani, Shohreh Samimi, Navid Moalem, Kamelia Bidelian in Minoodasht; Bita Hedayati, Hana Koushk Baghi, Vesagh Sanaei, Farhad Eghbali, Kourosh Ziari in the city of Gonbad Kavous </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='11356'> According to a report by Justice For Iran, the arrested had no access to attorneys or legal counsel during the time of their arrest and because of the ambiance that was created by the security forces, the recourse of some families to lawyers was ineffective and left unanswered. Security agents had told one of the lawyers in Gorgan, “their verdict has been issued beforehand, why do you want to take on their case?” </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='2421'> Farhad Fahandezh, Kamal Kashani, and Farahmand Sanai were arrested on October 19. Two days later, Payam Markazi, Siamak Sadri, and Foad Fahandezh were also arrested in Golestan Province. Two days later, Kourosh Ziari was arrested in Gonbad Village. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='2420'> Payam Markazi, Farhad Fahandezh, Siamak Sadri, Foad Fahandezh, Farmand Sanai, Kamal Kashani and Kourosh Ziari , a Baha'i citizen, were arrested in Gonbade Kavoos and transferred to ward 209 in Evin Prison. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='2422'> He was transferred to Ward 350 of Evin Prison alongside his co-defendants. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='2423'> After being questioned by Branch 3 of Evin Court, he and his co-defendants were transferred to quarantine in Rajaee Shahr Prison. They were later transferred to Hall 12 of this prison. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='2419'> His trial was held along with six other Baha'i citizens imprisoned in Rajaee Shahr Prison, on charges of "Establishing and running an illegal organization","Membership in an illegal organization" and "Propaganda against the state". </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='11364'> Along with seven other arrested Baha’is in Golestan province, he was tried, in an eight minute court hearing, headed by judge Moghiseh, and sentenced to 45 years incarceration collectively. According to the court’s verdict Farhad Fahandej was sentenced to 10 years prison, Payam Markazi, Foad Fahandej, Siamak Sadri, and Kourosh Ziari, Kamal Kashani and Farahmand Sanei were,each, condemned to five years incarceration for the charge of “propagating against the state”, “establishing and organizing illegal organizations” and “membership in illegal Baha’i organizations”. Farhad Eghbali, who had been released on bail due to his heart disease was tried with these seven individuals and sentenced to five years incarceration </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='11342'> Ten Human Rights organizations, in a collective letter, asked the European leaders to demand from Islamic Republic of Iran the suspension of the verdicts against the 32 Baha’i citizens of Golestan, and to open an inquiry by an independent investigator into the torture and abuse that they prisoners suffered during their interrogation </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='10505'> According to HRANA, because of his refusal to wear general prison uniform- that doesn’t get washed-and refusal to wear leg or hand cuffs, he was kept from going to the hospital and despite his heart disease, on the orders of the Warden of the prison, Mr. Mardani, he was returned to his ward </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='19515'> According to Payam News, he was released </coverage-outsourcing>