According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group, on Wednesday, January 31, 2025, plainclothes intelligence forces detained a Sunni Baloch cleric who was traveling to Zahedan to attend the Makki Mosque graduates’ conference. He was arrested on the Sarbaz-Iranshahr route without a judicial warrant and transferred to an undisclosed location.
The cleric has been identified as Molavi Emran Salami, 26 years old, son of Ali, a graduate of the Manba-ul-Uloom religious school in Kuhwan and a resident of Kombik-Dap village in the Kishkor region of Sarbaz County.
Reports indicate that while traveling in a passing vehicle, he was stopped by plainclothes security forces, arrested without a court order, and transferred to an unknown location. Following inquiries by his family and relatives at the Intelligence Office in Rask County, it was revealed that he had been taken to the Intelligence Office detention center in Zahedan.
As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the charges against this Sunni cleric.
Violation of Religious Minority Rights in Iran
The arbitrary detention of Sunni clerics without judicial warrants is an example of the increasing security pressures on religious minorities in Iran. Such actions violate the provisions of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to Article 12 of the Constitution, while Twelver Ja’fari Islam is the official religion, other Islamic sects are granted the freedom to perform their religious ceremonies, educate in their faith, and manage their personal affairs. However, numerous reports indicate that Sunni Muslims in Iran continue to face increasing restrictions and pressures.
