by the regime on Sufi practitioners.
Radio Farda said the eight Sufis were picked up by the police April 13 in the cities of Gonabad, Beydokht and Quchan. It said they were all taken to Vakilabad prison near Mashhad.
Farshid Yadullahi, a lawyer for the dervish association and himself a member of Nema-tollahi Sufi community that has been under the strongest regime attack for the last few years, told Radio Farda the eight were arrested for protests two years ago for which they had already served jail time and/or been flogged.
He said they were part of a group of dervishes arrested then for protesting a ban on Sufi burials in Beydokht.