Ghazaleh Rayat

Ghazaleh Rayat, a Baha'i citizen residing in Mashhad, was arrested on January 14, 2026, at her workplace by security forces and has since been held in an indefinite state at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad [1][2]. According to published reports, this arrest was made without a judicial order or official announcement of charges, and her family has not received any clear explanation regarding the reason for her arrest or the status of her case. Based on information received by IranWire, security agents visited her home after the arrest and confiscated several of her personal belongings during the search [1]. Despite several weeks having passed since her arrest, there is still no information regarding the legal status of her case, the charges against her, or her access to a lawyer. The news agency HRANA has also confirmed this arrest, reporting that Ghazaleh Rayat was initially transferred to the Mashhad Intelligence Department and then moved to Vakilabad Prison, where she is being held in an indefinite state [2]. HRANA emphasized that as of the time of this report, the reasons for her arrest and the charges against her have not been clarified. This arrest occurs within a broader context of ongoing systematic pressures on Baha'i citizens in Iran; pressures that have been exerted for years in the form of summons, arrests, case fabrication, employment restrictions, and deprivation of civil rights. Especially in recent months, coinciding with an intensification of the security atmosphere, numerous reports have emerged regarding the arrest of Baha'i citizens in Mashhad and other parts of the country [1][2]. The continued detention and uncertainty surrounding Ghazaleh Rayat, along with her family's lack of information about her status, has raised serious concerns among human rights organizations regarding the health, safety, and legal rights of this citizen. Human rights activists have repeatedly emphasized that arbitrary arrests and the detention of individuals without understanding the charges constitute a blatant violation of the principles of fair trial and the fundamental rights of citizens.