11 Years Prison and Seizure of Personal Assets, Court Verdict Against Bahai Citizen
The sister of “Yekta Fahendezh Saedi” says Judge “Mohammad Mojtaba Roudijani” sentenced her to 11 years in prison in addition to the seizure of personal assets for the benefit of the state.
Yekta Fahendezh Saedi, a Bahai citizen residing in Shiraz, spent 82 days in detention at the Shiraz Ministry of Intelligence detention center in 1390 on charges of propaganda against the system and actions against national security, and was acquitted in court of the charges brought against her.
She was also detained for 52 days in 1392 on the same charges and was sentenced to five years imprisonment in the lower court, which was reduced to two years imprisonment and three years suspended imprisonment in the appeals court.
After serving 74 days of her sentence in Adel Abad Prison, her verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court and the case was reviewed. She was temporarily released. In a court hearing presided over by Judge Mohammad Mojtaba Roudijani, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison and seizure of personal assets for the benefit of the state.
“Mona Fahendezh Saedi,” the sister of “Yekta Fahendezh Saedi,” said on Wednesday, December 28, in an interview with Voice of America: She was arrested again in June 1395 on the same previous charges by Ministry of Intelligence agents and was subjected to 81 days of severe psychological torture. This case is currently under review in the Shiraz Revolutionary Court.
On October 29, 1396, agents raided Yekta Fahendezh Saedi’s home, searched it, and seized all her personal belongings.
According to “Mona Fahendezh Saedi,” the 11-year prison sentence was issued while Ms. Fahendezh and her lawyers were unaware of the court proceedings and did not attend the hearing. The verdict has not yet been executed and they can appeal it within 20 days.
Ms. Fahendezh says even serving one day of this unjust verdict is unacceptable.
Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, has described religious freedom as a cornerstone of democratic societies and cited Iran as an example of trampling on the rights of religious minorities.
Source: Voice of America
