A Baha’i father imprisoned in Shiraz has written a moving letter to his one-year-old child from inside Adelabad Prison, offering a rare and painful glimpse into the human cost of Iran’s ongoing persecution of the Baha’is, and into the commitment of Iran’s Baha’is to the service, progress, and prosperity of their homeland.

Pejman Zare, a Baha’i resident of Shiraz, was arrested on 15 March after security agents raided and searched his home, confiscating personal belongings, electronic devices, and religious books. 

His father’s residence was also searched, and the following day agents raided Mr. Zare’s workplace and detained his business partner. For weeks, his family had almost no information about his whereabouts or condition. Although his family was later asked to provide bail and complied, his release was not carried out, and further allegations were added to his case.

Now, from the quarantine ward of Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, Mr. Zare has written to his child, Radvin, on the occasion of Radvin’s first birthday. “Today marks the ninety-second day that I have been unjustly imprisoned because of my belief in the Baha’i Faith and my efforts to contribute to the progress of my homeland, the sacred land of Iran,” he wrote.

The letter is at once a father’s apology, a statement of conscience, and a declaration of love for Iran. Mr. Zare tells his child that he has been unable to fulfil his responsibilities as a father during the first year of Radvin’s life, adding: “For ninety-two days, you have been deprived of your father’s presence.” Yet he also explains that his absence is linked to a larger commitment: “The goal of all of us Iranians is the progress, advancement, and prosperity of our beloved country. A bright future awaits Iran, but the future is not something we discover—it is something we build.”

“This letter leaves a profound imprint on the conscience of every fair-minded person,” said Simin Fahandej, Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva. “No child should have to celebrate a first birthday while a parent is unjustly imprisoned. No family should have to plead for information about their loved ones, for access to medicine, or ask for basic human rights. Pejman Zare’s letter is a reminder that the Baha’is of Iran seek not confrontation, but to make a contribution; not division, but unity; not privilege, but the opportunity to serve the progress of their homeland.” 

In the letter, Mr. Zare describes how interrogators accused him of being a “heartless father” for remaining steadfast in his beliefs. But he writes that even in prison, other inmates recognized “perseverance in the pursuit of noble ideals, truth, and the advancement of our beloved Iran” as something worthy of admiration and respect.

“Pejman Zare’s letter stands in sharp contrast to the accusations to his treatment at the hands of Iranian authorities,” Ms. Fahandej commented. “Despite the cruel injustice he and many Baha’is have endured, here is a man writing from prison about sacrifice, service, and building a brighter future for Iran. His only so-called ‘crime’ is that his commitment to Iran’s progress is inseparable from his conscience and his faith.”

Mr. Zare’s case is one among a growing number of recent arrests, detentions, and imprisonments of Baha’is across Iran. 

In Kerman, Shakila Ghasemi, a 26-year-old Baha’i woman, has been held under severe pressure and isolation for more than 5 months without formal charges being laid. She was initially held in solitary confinement at an IRGC intelligence detention facility before being transferred to Kerman Prison, where she continued to be kept in isolation. In recent weeks, she has reportedly been subjected to intensified psychological pressure, including repeated threats that she would be flogged within minutes—threats that were repeated over several hours and caused severe emotional distress.

“A young woman who should be sitting in a classroom is instead behind bars for no reason other than her faith,” said Ms. Fahandej. “The physical and mental hardships she has suffered form part of a pattern intended to break individuals and intimidate an entire religious minority whose members have consistently sought to contribute to the betterment of their country.”

Today marks 30 days since the arrest of Parsa Najafi, a 20-year-old Bahá’í who spent his twentieth birthday in detention after being arrested by Isfahan’s Ministry of Intelligence.

Parsa Najafi was arrested on June 6, 2026, following a raid by Ministry of Intelligence agents on his family home in Isfahan. He remains in detention without any official charges having been announced. His family has been permitted only two brief visits with him despite extensive efforts. Parsa appeared to be in a distressed psychological and emotional state during the second visit. He was being pressured to make false confessions on camera for television broadcasts and had been warned that refusing to do so would result in more severe consequences and increased pressure. Parsa’s lawyer has not been granted access to the case file or a meaningful opportunity to meet with his client. Prison authorities informed the lawyer that Parsa was “not in a condition to receive visitors,” without providing any further explanation regarding his situation. There are serious concerns about his physical and psychological well-being, the possibility of coerced confessions, and restrictions on his right to access counsel of his own choosing.

In Mashhad, Vafa Kashefi, a 32-year-old Bahá’í citizen, remains in the quarantine ward of Vakilabad Prison nearly three months after his rearrest, despite having provided the requested bail. He continues to be held without having been formally informed of any charges against him.

Also in Mashhad, Navid Zarrehbin Irani, a photographer and Bahá’í citizen, remains imprisoned in Vakilabad Prison nearly six months after his arrest without being informed of the charges against him. During his detention, he has been subjected to severe psychological pressure, denied access to legal counsel of his choosing, and neither he nor his family and lawyer have been granted access to his case file. Navid is known among his acquaintances for his strong social skills and positive interactions with others. Ironically, this very characteristic has resulted in disciplinary measures and repeated transfers between different sections of the prison.

In Tehran, Artin Ghazanfari, a visual journalist and writer remains detained in Greater Tehran Prison (Fashafouyeh) nearly six months after his arrest without having been formally charged. Despite concerns regarding his physical condition and the fact that he suffers from multiple medical conditions, requests for his release on bail have thus far been denied.

These cases reflect a broader pattern in which Baha’is are arrested, denied due process, deprived of medical care, held in solitary confinement, and excluded from temporary release measures granted to other prisoners during periods of national crisis. In one recent case, when the family of a Baha’i detainee sought furlough, they were told that “no Baha’i prisoner will be released.”

“The Islamic Republic has repeatedly tried to portray Baha’is as outsiders in their own homeland,” Ms. Fahandej said. “But Pejman Zare’s letter gives voice to a truth known across generations: Baha’is love Iran. They have suffered for the wellbeing of Iran, served Iran, and continued to work for a future in which all Iranians can live with dignity, justice, and peace.”

In his letter, Mr. Zare writes that every Iranian contributes in some way to the building of the country’s future: “some with their lives, some with their possessions, some through imprisonment, and others through service and constructive perseverance.” He tells Radvin that even his child has “already paid” part of that cost, having been deprived of his father’s presence for ninety-two days.

The Baha’i International Community calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Pejman Zare, Shakila Ghasemi, and all Baha’is imprisoned solely because of their beliefs; to end the use of solitary confinement, coercion, threats, torture, and forced confessions; and to guarantee detainees’ access to family contact, and urgent medical care.

Mr. Zare ends his letter with a prayer for his child’s future: that Radvin may grow “intellectually, physically, and spiritually,” become “a true servant of humanity,” and one day experience “the blessings of justice in our sacred homeland of Iran.”

For more information, please contact

• Simin Fahandej, Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, [email protected](link sends e-mail), +41227985400 (English & Persian)
• Rachel Bayani, Principal Representative to the United Nations, New York, [email protected](link sends e-mail), +19297870437 (English, French, German)