Seyed Morteza Mousavi
AKA: Moosavi, Mousawi, Musavi, Musawi
- Head of Judicial Administration, Sari (Mazandaran Province) (2011 - 2013)
- Judge at the Special Court for Article 49, Mazandaran Province (2013 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Issuing an order for confiscating the property of Baha’is of Ivel Village (4 November 2019) read more
- Institution
- Courts & Judicial Administrations
- Location
- Sari (Mazandaran Province)
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to freedom of religion and belief, Right to non-discrimination
- Description
On 4 November 2019, Mazandaran’s Special Court for Article 49 presided by Seyed Morteza Musavi, ordered the properties of the Baha’is of Ivel, including 10 hectares of land and 5000 square meters of building be confiscated in favour of The Executive Headquarters of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO).
According to the published reports, in 1983, a group consisting of the members of Islamic associations, IR committee agents, and a number of villagers forced out the Baha’is of Ivel village in Mazandaran from their homes. The Baha’is had two options, to either convert to Islam or leave Ivel.
Following the forced eviction of the Baha’is of Ivel Village, their properties were partially destroyed, and they were prevented from entering the village in planting and harvesting seasons. Finally, on 22 June 2010, the authorities, after blocking the roads leading to Ivel, destroyed entirely the fifty houses of the Baha’is with four loaders and several trucks.
Thirty Baha’i families of Ivel attempted to pursue legal proceedings concerning the destruction and occupation of their properties. Ignoring the reports and evidence furnished by the complainants, the court presided by Musavi ruled in favour of EIKO mentioning the Bahai’s religious beliefs as the sole reason for declaring their property as “illegitimate”.
- Sources
Stolen Lands: Confiscation Iranian Citizens Property by Mostazafan Foundation (Bonyad), Justice for Iran, 2021
Demolition of Baha’is houses in Mazandaran, BBC Persian, 29 June 2010
https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran/2010/06/100629_u04_bahais_homes
Either Islam or Exile: Story of confiscating the property of Baha’is of Ive, Asoo, 22 Feb 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHAKrybPywc
Full-text of Musavi’s Ruling on Bha’is of Ivel Case, 4 November 2019
https://iranbahaipersecution.bic.org/sites/default/files/PDF/English/004731E_0.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: Issuing an order for confiscating the property of Baha’is of Ivel Village (4 November 2019) read more
- Deputy Head of the Judicial Administration, Mazandaran Province (2013 - present)
- Deputy of Social Affairs and Crime Prevention of the Judicial Administration, Mazandaran Province (9 Mar 2016 - present)