The Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to hold five Yarsani activists named Siavash Hayati, Seyyed Amin Abbasi, Kaki Farzad Almasi, Seyyed Soroush Abbasi and Seyyed Karam Abbasi in its detention centre in Kermanshah, western Iran.
The security institution arrested the activists on 30 November and 1 December in Kermanshah and Saveh, Markazi province.
On 11 December, the Yarsan Civil Activists’ Advisory Council issued a statement calling for the release of the activists.
It said that Seyyed Karam Abbasi was arrested at his house in Saveh on 30 November and was transferred to the detention centre of the IRGC intelligence organisation in Kermanshah.
It was stated that the activist was on a hunger strike after his arrest and his health situation was a cause for concern.
Siavash Hayati, Seyyed Amin Abbasi, Kaki Farzad Almasi and Seyyed Soroush Abbasi were arrested together with three others named Ali Nazari, Mohammad Ghabouli and Rouzbeh Hayati on their way back from Sahneh to Kermanshah by plain clothes and without arrest warrants.
They were beaten at the time of detention.
Although Ali Nazari, Mohammad Ghabouli and Rouzbeh Hayati were released after two hours, Siavash Hayati, Seyyed Amin Abbasi, Kaki Farzad Almasi and Seyyed Soroush Abbasi were transferred to the detention centre of the Intelligence Organisation of the IRGC in Kermanshah.
These people had travelled to Sahneh to meet the freed people of the 18 November ceremony.
On 18 November, the 21st anniversary of the commemoration of Seyed Khalil Alinezhad, a famous artist and one of the leaders of the Yarsan community, led to public protests in Sahneh.
The military-security forces attacked the participants by throwing tear gas and shooting at them. They arrested a large number of those present at the ceremony.
