Steve Bosserman

Justice is about relationships and it emerges when a community has the space, authority, and respect, to shape its own future. @J_Cedar, a Civil Society Representative in the Australian Delegation to #CSW70, shared this reflection during a Bahá’í International Community event at the recent UN Commission on the Status of Women. See our full news story for details on our CSW engagement this year: bic.org/news/moral-cal…

… view all the Prophets and Messengers of God as one soul and one body, as one light and one spirit, in such wise that the first among them would be last and the last would be first. For they have all arisen to proclaim His Cause and have established the laws of divine wisdom. They are, one and all, the Manifestations of His Self, the Repositories of His might, the Treasuries of His Revelation, the Dawning-Places of His splendour and the Daysprings of His light. Through them are manifested the signs of sanctity in the realities of all things and the tokens of oneness in the essences of all beings. Through them are revealed the elements of glorification in the heavenly realities and the exponents of praise in the eternal essences. — Baha’u’llah. Gems of Divine Mysteries (Javáhiru’l-Asrár). #Bahai #Unity #Equality #Justice

“It is our duty and privilege to translate the love and devotion we have for our beloved Cause into deeds and actions that will be conducive to the highest good of mankind.” — Shoghi Effendi

... there is pure joy in engaging other souls in meaningful and uplifting conversations that lead, whether quickly or gradually, to the stirring of spiritual susceptibilities. The Universal House of Justice bahai.org/r/425893761 #bahai #bahaifaith #bahaiquotes #quotes

“¡OH HIJO DEL SER! Mi amor es Mi fortaleza, quien entra en ella está salvo y seguro, y aquel que se aparta, sin duda se extraviará y perecerá.”   #Baháulláh #AllWeNeedIsGod #OurStoryIsOne

“My home is the home of peace. My home is the home of joy and delight. My home is the home of laughter and exultation. Whosoever enters through the portals of this home, must go out with gladsome heart." — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá #Bahai #RenderService stevenlbossermanarchives.com/2026/04/24/dai…

Three Bahá’ís Detained Incommunicado in Shiraz, No Information After 20 Days It was learned on 16 April 2026 that no information has been released regarding the whereabouts or legal status of Ms. Mahsa Sotoudeh, a 25-year-old Bahá’í resident of Shiraz, 20 days after her arrest. Ms. Sotoudeh was detained by forces affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on 29 March 2026 without the presentation of a judicial warrant. Since her arrest, she has had no contact with her family and has been denied access to legal counsel. Authorities have not disclosed any charges against her. Three days after her detention, her sister, Mrs. Mandana Sotoudeh, and brother-in-law, Mr. Behzad Basiri, were also arrested by IRGC forces, involving the use of violence. More than two weeks later, no information has been made available regarding their whereabouts or condition, and family inquiries have not yielded results. Relatives of the three detainees remain without information regarding their fate. The arrests were carried out in connection with their Bahá’í beliefs. No official comment has been issued by authorities regarding the detentions. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #Imprisonments #MahsaSotoudeh #MandanaSotoudeh #BehzadBasiri

Bahá’í Photojournalist Artin Ghazanfari in Poor Health After more than 80 days in Detention A Bahá’í photojournalist, Mr. Artin Ghazanfari, who was arrested on 19 January 2026, during a broader crackdown on Bahá’ís following the January protests in Iran, is in deteriorating physical and mental condition after nearly three months in detention. Mr. Ghazanfari’s condition has become increasingly concerning in recent weeks. He spent approximately 45 days under interrogation before being transferred to the Tehran Greater Prison (Fashafouyeh Prison). During his detention, Mr. Ghazanfari’s family was initially unaware of his whereabouts. He was later permitted brief weekly phone calls lasting less than a minute, during which he was unable to share details about his condition due to monitoring. Mr. Ghazanfari suffers from asthma, high blood pressure, and heart disease. While he initially had access to his medication during the interrogation period, his family say that after his transfer to Tehran Greater Prison, his access to essential medication was cut off, raising serious concerns about his welfare. Prison medical services were effectively suspended during the recent conflict, leaving inmates without proper care. During this time, Mr. Ghazanfari contracted COVID-19, which exacerbated his asthma and worsened his respiratory condition. Reports from Tehran Greater Prison describe overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, with large numbers of detainees—many linked to the January protests—held in confined spaces lacking adequate room for rest. These conditions have further worsened Mr. Ghazanfari’s physical and mental state. They also note that the principle of separating prisoners based on the nature of their alleged offenses is not being implemented in the facility. Efforts by Mr. Ghazanfari’s family to pursue legal action or secure his release on bail have so far been unsuccessful. Even during the recent conflict, his elderly mother received no response from authorities despite repeated inquiries. Mr. Ghazanfari was arrested at his home in Tehran, where 11 agents carrying a judicial warrant searched the premises and later his workplace, confiscating electronic devices and personal belongings. In addition to his work as a photojournalist, Mr. Ghazanfari is a musician, narrator and podcaster, in which he documents and narrates lesser-known stories about cities, neighborhoods and people through cultural, social and artistic storytelling. He has been denied access to legal counsel. Relatives have also expressed concern over reports of brief online court hearings held in recent days for detainees in Fashafouyeh prison, fearing he may face an unfair trial and a heavy sentence. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #Imprisonments #ArtinGhazanfari

شكرًا @EIPR لتسليطكم الضوء على التمييز والإقصاء المؤسسي المنهجي ضد المصريين البهائيين، والذي عزّزه مؤخرًا حكم محكمة النقض بإلغاء حكم سابق كان قد أقر بإثبات زواج زوجين بهائيين. إن هذا الحكم يترك المواطنين البهائيين عمليًا دون أي مسار قانوني للحصول على أبسط حقوقهم، رغم سعيهم المستمر لإيجاد حلول قانونية، في ظل منظومة تشريعية تمنع حتى توثيق الزواج المدني، بما في ذلك المادة 134 من تعليمات الشهر العقاري، التي تنص صراحة على عدم توثيق عقود زواج البهائيين. ونؤكد ما جاء في بيان المبادرة: "إن عدم تقديم الحكومة لأي حل قانوني لهذه الأزمة المستمرة ليس سوى جزء من سياسة إقصاء كاملة تنتهجها الأجهزة التنفيذية ضد البهائيين المصريين، وهم جزء أصيل من المجتمع المصري".

Shakila Ghasemi Held Without Charge for Over 70 Days in Kerman It was learned on 14 April 2026 that Ms. Shakila Ghasemi, a 26-year-old Bahá’í resident of Kerman, has remained in detention for more than 70 days without formal charges or access to legal counsel. Ms. Ghasemi was arrested on 2 February 2026, after a group of approximately 12 plainclothes agents entered her home, identified themselves as officials from the Kerman Prosecutor’s Office, and conducted a search of the home lasting several hours, during which personal belongings, including electronic devices, were confiscated. She was subsequently arrested and taken into custody and then transferred to an undisclosed location. For several weeks following her arrest, her family had no information regarding her whereabouts. Ms. Ghasemi contacted her mother four days after her arrest, stating that she did not know her whereabouts or the identity of the authority enforcing her detention. It was later determined that she had been held by the intelligence unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in an unofficial detention facility outside the formal prison system. During this period, no state authority provided any information regarding her legal status. After approximately 47 days, Ms. Ghasemi was transferred to Kerman Central Prison, where she is currently being held in quarantine under the supervision of IRGC intelligence authorities. She has been denied regular access to family visits and legal representation, and no formal charges have been publicly disclosed. While allegations have been raised during interrogations, she has rejected all of the accusations. Efforts by family members to obtain information have been met with silence. Her mother has been prevented from entering relevant administrative offices, including the prison and intelligence facilities, and has been turned away. Authorities have indicated that no further information will be provided until the case proceeds to court.  To date the case remains under investigation and has not yet been referred for trial. Concerns have also been raised regarding Ms. Ghasemi’s physical and psychological condition. She has experienced severe health symptoms during detention and was treated in the prison infirmary for several days. Her family has expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding her medical care and the impact of prolonged detention. During this period of heightened regional tension and conflict, when many detainees were granted temporary leave, Ms. Ghasemi remained in custody. Requests by her family for release on bail or placement under electronic monitoring have been denied. Prior to her arrest, Ms. Ghasemi worked as a graphic designer who had been engaged in both creative and clinical settings. She was involved in producing visual content, including stop-motion animation and photography, and contributed to social media projects. Due to her Bahá’í beliefs, she had been denied access to university education and instead pursued training through independent courses. She was also engaged in voluntary activities, including teaching painting to children with autism at a care center. In one of her most recent activities prior to her arrest, she collaborated with children to create handmade bags decorated with drawings, which were later sold at a charity market to support the care centre. No statement has been issued by authorities regarding her arrest or current status. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #Imprisonments #ShakilaGhasemi

Bahá’í Photographer Navid Zarrehbin Held Without Charge for Over 90 Days in Mashhad  It was learned on 16 April 2026 that Mr. Navid Zarrehbin Irani, a Bahá’í photographer from Mashhad, has been held in detention for more than 90 days without formal charges or access to legal counsel. Mr. Zarrehbin was arrested on 16 January 2026, at his home in Mashhad by security forces in the presence of his young child. During the arrest, authorities also confiscated all of his photography equipment. Following an extended period of interrogation at the local intelligence office, he was transferred, amid wartime conditions, to the quarantine ward of Vakilabad Prison, where he remains in custody. Despite the temporary release of a number of prisoners during this period, he has been denied leave or provisional release on the orders of intelligence authorities. Mr. Zarrehbin has not been informed of any charges against him and has been denied access to a lawyer, raising concerns about due process and fair trial standards. Prolonged separation from his family—particularly his young child—has had a negative impact on his mental well-being. He is also said to be experiencing physical health issues, while access to adequate medical care in prison remains limited. According to available information, his pre-trial detention was extended on 15 April, without clear explanation from authorities, marking the beginning of his fourth month in custody. No statement has been issued by the authorities regarding his case. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #Imprisonments #NavidZarrehbinIrani

Moin Yeganeh, a Bahá’í in Qatar, has been detained in the country ahead of his likely deportation. Moin has committed no crime. He is 55 years old and was born in Qatar. His family have lived in Qatar for three generations and his father was one of the country’s first dentists. He is being deported for no reason other than his faith. Bahá’ís have been discriminated against systematically in Qatar for several decades, and many have been deported or denied ongoing residency. Moin’s case—and several other recent incidents of cancellation of the residency of those Bahá’ís serving in administrative capacities within the institutions of the Bahá’í community—demonstrate an intensification of this pattern of discrimination. These long-term Bahá’í families from Qatar have no other home: and this appalling state of affairs is a violation of their human rights and their rights as Qatari residents. The Bahá’í International Community condemns Moin’s detention and imminent deportation. We call on the Government of Qatar to cease such actions against the Bahá’ís, to release Moin, and to cancel any deportation order against him. These new cases of denial of residency, following the recent wrongful imprisonment of Qatari Baha’i citizen Mr. Remi Rowhani, raises fresh concerns—and we urge the Qatari authorities to relent in this unjust effort to erase a vital and indelible part of Qatar’s rich and diverse society. #Qatar #Bahai #HumanRights

Detachment does not imply lack of means; it is marked by the freedom of the heart. In Tihran, we possessed everything at a nightfall, and on the morrow we were shorn of it all, to the extent that we had no food to eat… Yet, we were contented. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá #bahai #bahaifaith

#Bahai #Iran #Arrests #Imprisonments #NahidNaimi #DidarAhmadi #BoshraMostafavi

O SON OF MAN! If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee. - Bahá’u’lláh. The Hidden Words. #OurStoryIsOne #Bahai #Unity #Eqality #Justice

Thank you Hans S Hintner for your statement, which carries special weight given your long-standing work in the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee, monitoring the situation of #Bahai in #Iran & now witnessing its deterioration, as they are increasingly scapegoated. #PeyvandNaimi

"In the realm of humanity, cooperation and mutual aid are in a greater degree of completeness and perfection than...other realms of existence—so much so, that the life of humanity dependeth entirely upon this principle" — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá #Bahai #RenderService stevenlbossermanarchives.com/2026/04/23/dai…

The #euyouthweek starting tomorrow in Brussels is a chance for youth from all over Europe to reflect on the role that young people can play as protagonists of positive change in society. We are looking forward to contributing to these important conversations in the coming week and beyond. #youth

In @AmnestyAustria’s new annual report published yesterday: Egypt, p. 162: "discrimination against #Bahai incl. confiscation of cemeteries, denial of identity documents recognizing their faith, civil status & marriages, as well as ongoing harassment & surveillance" @ShouraHashemi

Iranian authorities have held three members of a Baha'i family from Shiraz incommunicado for over 20 days, with no charges or whereabouts disclosed, sources told IranWire. IRGC-affiliated forces detained the siblings and a brother-in-law. More: iranwire.com/en/news/151579…