Sari Intelligence Agents Raid Home of Baha’i

Human Rights House of IRAN -- Intelligence agents in Sari, on January 21, raided the home of a Baha’i, searched the house and confiscated the religious books.

On Saturday, six intelligence officers of Sari, after breaking down the door of Enayatollah Sanai’s home, a Baha’i author and poet, went into his house.

The Human Rights House of Iran reported that since Mr. Sanai was not home, they could not arrest him. After inspecting the arrest warrant, the original date was found to have expired and its’ extension was done long hand which is not considered legal.

With plenty of insults to those present in the house and to their religious beliefs, the intelligence officers began to search his house. They then proceeded to seize his prayer books, religious CDs and cassette tapes.

Intelligence officers had also searched last September the home of Enayatollah Sanai. At the time, despite his repeated remarks about the unlawfulness and un-Islamic character of their acts, one of the officers slapped him in the face that tore his eardrum. Enayatollah Sanai went to a forensics doctor and got a confirmation to that effect. He then made a formal complaint about the intelligence officers and also wrote a letter to the Minister of intelligence and the head of judiciary.

In October, he received a summons signed by the prosecutor – Hossein-zadeh - which, after visiting the prosecutor, he claimed to have no knowledge of the summons. And the prosecutor’s secretary said that his file is in the hands of the intelligence officers.

In January 2012, Mr. Sanai’s wife, Toreh Taghizadeh, was released from a prison in Sari, after spending eleven months out of a twenty-two-months sentence.

During his wife’s imprisonment, Enayatollah Sanai, wrote open letters addressed to the head of the judiciary and the Minister of intelligence.