Bahai Citizen Sofia Mobini Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

According to reports, the Islamic Republic of Iran has sentenced a Bahai citizen named “Sofia Mobini” to 10 years in prison.

Ms. Mobini was arrested in November 2017 during a ceremony commemorating the bicentenary of the birth of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Bahai faith, and was later released on bail after some time. However, now several sources in cyberspace have reported the issuance of her ten-year sentence, and Hrana, a website that publishes news on Iranian human rights, announced this news on Sunday, June 23.

A source told Hrana that the charge against this Bahai citizen was “managing and forming an illegal Bahai group with the aim of undermining national security,” and Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to 10 years in prison based on this charge. However, Article 499 of the Islamic Penal Code was cited for issuing this sentence, which is originally titled “membership in illegal organizations aimed at undermining national security,” and the maximum penalty for this charge is 5 years.”

Last Friday, it was announced that Negin Tadrissi, a Bahai citizen who was arrested at the same time as Ms. Mobini, was also sentenced to 5 years in prison in a primary court.

International human rights organizations and the United States government have repeatedly condemned the harassment and imprisonment of followers of religious minorities in Iran.

Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, spoke on Friday during the release of the annual report on religious freedom and said that in Iran, the repression of Bahais, Christians, and others continues to affect consciences.

Source: Voice of America