Six Bahai Citizens in Tabriz Sentenced to Total of 36 Months in Prison

Six Bahai citizens residing in Tabriz who were previously tried by Judge “Rahim Hamelbur,” head of the first branch of the Revolutionary Court, have been sentenced to a total of 36 months in prison.

The Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners reported on Tuesday, June 18, that six Bahai citizens living in Tabriz named “Kheirollah Bakhshi,” “Monica Alizadeh,” “Kambiaz Mithaghi,” “Shabnam Isa Khani,” “Farzad Bahadri,” and “Shahryar Khodapanah” who were tried on Tuesday, June 11, by Judge “Rahim Hamelbur,” head of the first branch of the Revolutionary Court, on charges of “membership in an illegal Bahai organization,” have each been sentenced to six months in prison.

According to this report, the verdict for these Bahai citizens was issued on Saturday, June 15, by the first branch of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court.

According to available information, these Bahai citizens were arrested in November 2018 by security forces in Tabriz following a complete search of their homes and the confiscation of several personal items. After completing interrogation procedures and case preparation for referral to court, these individuals were released pending bail until the conclusion of legal proceedings.

The U.S. State Department’s Special Advisor on Minority Religious Issues in the Middle East, South and Central Asia has criticized the continued persecution and harassment of minorities in Iran and called for the Islamic Republic to immediately release all prisoners of conscience and respect religious freedoms.

Mr. Knox Thames, on Tuesday, April 30, at a meeting of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in Washington, stated: “The Iranian regime suppresses its own Bahai citizens to an extent that is incomparable to the treatment of this minority anywhere else in the world. According to statistics, as recently as two months ago, seventy Bahais were still imprisoned in Iranian prisons simply for being Bahai. The U.S. State Department continuously documents these issues. That is, constant verbal attacks against Bahais, closure of their businesses, and prevention of access to basic services.”

Source: Voice of America