News Center- On September 26, four women members of the Baha'i religious minority were arrested in the southern city of Shiraz and transferred to an unknown location by Iranian security forces. According to the received reports, Sahar Mohebpour and Roksana Vejdani were arrested at their workplaces, while Bahareh Qaderi and Setareh Ta'ami were arrested at their homes on September 26.

The women’s personal belongings, including religious books, photographs, laptops and mobile phones, were confiscated during searches at their homes by Iranian security forces. The reason for their arrests is still unknown.

The supporters of Baha’i faith have been persecuted in Iran for years and they are often accused of being spies or opposed to the Iranian government.

The Baha'i International Community announced on August 16 that more than 180 Baha’is had faced persecution and 59 Baha’i-owned businesses had been sealed by the authorities and the homes of nine others had been raided and searched.

The Baha’i community says they have more than seven million followers worldwide, including 300,000 in Iran.