Payam Vali

Payam Vali is a Bahai citizen from Karaj. The security forces shut down his business in September 2008. Despite years of follow-up, the judiciary refused to allow him to open reopen his business. Mr. Vali has been arrested several times. He was last arrested during the countrywide uprising in reaction to Mahsa Amini's murder.

• <coverage-outsourcing id='51426'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3WdcohW'> According to Zamaneh Radio, Afshin Vali, Payam Vali's brother was killed by two youths of Hossein Abad village, Nazar Abad district, when he was only 12 years old, and his body was thrown into the aqueduct well. Mr. Vali wrote on 20 December 2013 to the commission of Article 90 of the parliament about the atrocities that happened to him and his family. This letter has been published on the site of Baha'i anti-Bahá'í documents in Iran. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42869'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2010/hranews/bahaee-2/'> HRANA reported that he was arrested by security forces. Years later in an open letter, he wrote: > When I was unfairly arrested and being held in INtelligence Ministry lockup in Karaj, the interrogator threatened me that if I keep trying to legally reopen my store, they're going to persecute my relatives... They mentioned my wife's father and both of my wife's uncles who own businesses in Karaj and said they'll deal with them in time. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42870'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2010/hranews/bahaee-2/'> HRANA reported that Payam Vali has been in Gohardasht Prison (Rajaei Shahr) for three months awaiting a decision. There is no word about his release. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42873'> <reference source='https://tavaana.org/fa/Bahai_letter'> In a letter to the Karaj Public Office, he objected to the treatment that he and other Bahai citizens have received over the years after the revolution and demanded the implementation of the constitution and a stop to the arbitrary behavior of the authorities. In the letter, published by Tavaana, he also wrote about the shutdown of Bahai businesses by the state and denying Bahais education. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42871'> <reference source='https://t.me/c/1007776938/965'> A source told Bahai News that when Payam Vali arrived at the courthouse to follow up on his case, he was arrested by the security forces. After searching his house, they transferred him to lockup. The source added: > In recent days Payam Vali sent a letter to the attorney general of Alborz province about the threats he had received and mentioned that in early November two men tries to enter his apartment. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42872'> <reference source='https://t.me/c/1007776938/980'> Bahai News reported his release on bail. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42874'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-37180/'> He was arrested by the security forces in Karaj. HRANA's source reported that eight Intelligence Ministry agents went to Payam Vali's workplace and violently arrested him. The source added: > While searching his home the security forces also beat up his son Adib. The agents confiscated some of Mr. Vali's personal belongings including his cell phone and laptop. HRANA reported that the agents so violently kept assaulting Mr. Vali in the head that he had headaches, nausea, and dizziness. According to the source, Mr. Vali demanded a visit by the medical examiner to document his wounds and bruises from the arrest but the agents ignored him. His arrest occurred at the same time as the countrywide uprising in protest of the murder of Mahsa Amini. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42875'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-37498/'> HRANA reported that Payam Vali is being held in ward eight of Gohardasht Prison and has only had two brief calls with family during this time. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='43155'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-37717/'> According to HRANA's sources, Payam Vali has been charged with propaganda against the state through the promotion of the Bahai faith, disparaging the sanctity of Islamic Sharia, connection and collusion with foreign media through interviews and reports of human rights violations, and provoking people to protest through his social media. According to the source, Mr. Vali has been denied access to an attorney and the security forces are trying to coerce him into a confession. He was recently transferred from Gohardasht Prison to Qezel Hesar Prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='43240'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/Zhinoosforootan/status/1591302101619310593?s=20&t=8EDeNHJbTYrnfS7m5dHIjQ'> Human Rights activist Zhinous Foroutan reported that Payam Vali has been transferred from Qezel Hesar Prison to an undisclosed location. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44012'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3BcJbKS'> In an open letter to IranWire, Payam Vali discussed his illegal arrest procedure and his interrogation and denied the charges against him. The letter is addressed to the chief of the first branch of the revolutionary court and states that the investigator in his case indicted him without considering his defense. He also mentions that he was arrested without a warrant from Judiciaery. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='46666'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-38903/'> HRANA reported that Mr. Vali has refused to attend his trial due to the violation of article 35 and lack of access to his own attorney. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='46667'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-39360/'> HRANA reported that Payam Vali was indicted. According to the report, during the investigation phase, Mr. Vali's case was at the 7th branch of the public and revolutionary court of Karaj presided by Sasan Ali Ramaji. He has been charged with propaganda against the state "through correspondence with dissident media abroad". </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='48046'> <reference source='http://rlu.ru/3dB34'> Payam Vali was sentenced to the sum of 16 years in prison, two years in exile, and two years ban from leaving the country. According to IranWire, the first branch of the revolutionary court of Karaj presided by Judge Mousa Asef Al-Hosseini sentenced this Bahai citizen to 10 years in prison for collusion with an enemy state, five years in prison for inciting war and bloodshed among people with intent to undermine national security, and one year in prison for propaganda against the state (After article 134 of IPC, 10 years is enforceable). he was also banned from leaving the country for two years and forced to live in Yasuj for two years while reporting to the revolutionary court of that city once a week. According to IranWire, the basis for the charge of collusion with enemy states is a few reports about the violations of the human rights of Bahai citizens in Iran which were published in a few Persian media abroad. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='47631'> <reference source='https://rb.gy/rewntl'> In an audio message from Karaj Central Prison, Payam Vali said the judiciary authorities have made his release contingent on him doing a fake video confession. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='49871'> <reference source='https://rb.gy/ridq'> IranWire published a report that he and a number of other Baha'i citizens were imprisoned on Nowruz 2023 and were denied leave during these days. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='50284'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/Atiiiiish/status/1643653648868622336'> Payam Vali was not allowed to attend his mother's funeral. One source reported that after the passing of Payam Vali's mother, the judiciary authorities denied his request to attend his mother's funeral. According to the human rights activist Reza Akvanian's tweet, Mousa Asef Al-Hosseini denied his request. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='51657'> <reference source='https://shorturl.at/alpMY'> Branch 12 of Alborz Provincial Court of Appeals reduced Payam Vali's 16-year prison sentence to 9 years and 9 months. According to IranWire, based on the verdict, Mr. Vali was sentenced to six years for the charge of cooperating with hostile countries, three years and one month for the charge of inciting people to fight and kill each other, and eight months for the charge of propaganda against the regime. By applying Article 134 of the Criminal Code, six years of imprisonment will be applicable. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='51425'> <reference source='https://www.radiozamaneh.info/764983'> In an audio message from prison that Radio Zamane broadcasted, addressed to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Payam Vali protested the 15 years of oppression against him and his family due to his belief in the Baha'i faith, as well as the filing of a case against him by the security institutions and the issuance of Heavy prison sentences by the judicial system. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='52114'> <reference source='https://iranwire.com/fa/news-1/117443'> According to IranWire, Payam Vali has been banned from calling his family for two weeks. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='52608'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/Zhinoosforootan/status/1677628356647587841?t=kjhMt3_QzX8rJe4XAaIP5w&s=35'> Human rights activist Zhinous Foroutan wrote on her Twitter page that Anvari, the investigator of branch one of the Karaj Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office, has opened a new case for Payam Vali, just for publicizing his situation in prison, and accused him of "spreading lies in cyberspace". In the audio file he published in June 2022, while pointing out that "the judicial institution along with the Ministry of Intelligence has turned into an apparatus of oppression and suppression of Baha'is", Payam Vali said about his case: "If anyone reads my indictment carefully, It is easy to understand that the indictment was prepared by the Ministry of Intelligence, not the Karaj Prosecutor's Office. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='60656'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-42225/'> In a report, HRANA announced the opening of a new case against him. According to this report, in the third branch of Karaj Revolutionary Court, he faced a new case for the accusation of disseminating falsehoods in cyberspace through the publication of criminal content, and this case was transferred to the first branch of the District Prosecutor's Office for investigation due to the lack of jurisdiction of this court. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='60657'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-43077/'> In a report, HRANA announced the time and branch of the investigation in the new case. According to this report, based on the notice issued by the third branch of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, the court hearing on the charges of this citizen will be held on the 26th of September this year in this branch. In this notification, the charge against Mr. Vali is stated as spreading falsehoods in cyberspace through the publication of criminal content. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='53066'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-43478/'> Adib Vali, the son of Payam Vali, was denied from enrolling in the university and continuing his higher education. According to HRANA, after the announcement of the results of the national entrance examination, Adib Vali went to this system to register and was met with the message "Your file is under review". For follow-up, he referred to the center of the Tehran Assessment Organization, but the relevant authorities refused to give a clear answer. Finally, due to the continuation of this situation and the expiry of the deadline for choosing a field, he has been deprived of continuing his studies in university. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='53065'> <reference source='https://shorturl.at/fxCM6'> Payam Vali sent a note to the judge of his new case and announced that he will not attend the court session. A part of this note states: > How can I participate in a system that executed some of my fellow believers in the early years, denied the right to have a job and the right to study at the university, and considered responding peacefully to crimes and slanders as a crime." How can I participate in a system that has sentenced Baha'is to prison and confiscated their property for teaching science, ethics, and music? </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='53970'> <reference source='https://www.iranintl.com/202312232351'> Afif Naimi, Payam Vali, Kamyar Habibi, and Saman Ostovar are facing various problems, exclusions and restrictions during their imprisonment, and the continuous violation of their rights has made it more difficult to endure the imprisonment. In a detailed report, Iran International has discussed the difficult conditions of these prisoners in Hall 15 of Karaj Central Prison. According to this report, denial of access to the library, sports hall, club, and prison store, denial of the right to be sent on leave, restriction on the right to use daily telephone calls, and low per capita available space for each prisoner are among the problems that these prisoners suffer from. A source close to the families of these Baha'i citizens told Iran International about the restrictions imposed on them: > They are kept in Karaj Central Prison in Hall 15 and Darbandi, which is in a far worse condition than other prisons and has fewer facilities. They don't buy from the store in their cell, and every time they buy from the store, they do so with help from prisoners in other cells. Deprivation of access to cultural facilities such as the prison library is one of the other things that these citizens are deprived of. The report stated that Payam Vali and Afif Naimi are facing restrictions on phone calls with their families, and the number and duration of their calls has decreased significantly compared to other prisoners. A source close to the family of these four Baha'i citizens told Iran International: > In response to the requests of the families of these prisoners for their release, the officials of the prisons organization and the Karaj Central Prison said that Madadi, the Karaj prosecutor, had verbally ordered none of the Baha'is must be sent on leave until the last day of imprisonment. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='57053'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2024/hranews/a-47785/'> According to HRANA, his request for a retrial was rejected by the Supreme Court. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='56270'> <reference source='https://tinyurl.com/yrkw9wsk'> According to Dadban's report, Payam Vali has been denied the right to Nowruz leave with the opposition of the judicial authorities of Alborz province. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='60655'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2024/hranews/a-48945/'> According to HRANA, the hearing of his trial was held in the third branch of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Narimani, and he defended himself regarding the charge of publishing lies. Also, IranWire wrote in a report that he is currently serving his sentence in Hall 15 of Karaj Central Penitentiary and has faced a new charge of publishing falsehoods due to publicizing his condition in prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='61266'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2024/hranews/a-49310/'> According to HRANA, by the third branch of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Narimani, he was sentenced to one year in prison and banned from leaving the country for two years and banned from appearing on social networks. According to this report, the publication of an open letter from the prison, the content of which has been declared confidential by judicial authorities, is one of the examples of accusations against this citizen. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63928'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2024/hranews/a-50815/'> HRANA reported that the request for retrial regarding his previous conviction was rejected for the second time by the 39th branch of the Supreme Court. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63929'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2024/hranews/a-50815/'> HRANA wrote that his one-year prison sentence was changed to eight months by the 12th branch of the Alborz Court of Appeal. According to this report, this case was opened against him with the complaint of Hamzeh Kolivand, the head of Karaj Central Prison's information protection. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>