Arrest of student blogger Badri Safyari in Fars province

Committee of Human Rights Reporters – According to news sources a student blogger from Fars province was detained in the city of Shiraz last Wednesday.

These reports indicated that three plainclothes officials without warning detained Badri Safyari a student at Kavar Fars University, and a writer and blogger for the blog named “Sufi” on Wednesday March 6th as she was returning from her university to the city of Shiraz.

After detaining Badri Safyari, officials raided her home, conducted a search and confiscated personal items including her computer, pamphlets and flash drives. Officials provided no information regarding her situation, the reason for her arrest, or whereabouts.

According to reports, during the past months the weblog “Sufi” was posting news about the recent prosecution and pressures against the Gonabadi Dervishes. In the past months Branch 2 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court prosecuted a number of dervishes from Kavar County in Fars province.

On February 21st, security agents arrested a number of Gonabadi Dervishes who had gathered outside Evin prison. They had congregated outside the prison in protest of the situation of dervishes held in solitary confinement in Ward 209 for weeks and the detainment of their lawyers. In a recent U.N. human rights report the Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed stated that Gonabadi Dervishes are arbitrarily arrested, tortured and prosecuted in Iran.