Roya Sabeti, Imprisoned Bahai Citizen, Denied Final Goodbye to Her Mother
Roya Sabeti, a Bahai citizen detained in Adelphi Prison in Shiraz, was denied medical leave and a visit to see her ailing mother, who died just one day after her leave request was rejected. The judicial and security apparatus of the Islamic Republic’s refusal to allow her presence at the funeral service once again presents a shocking image of the continuous pressures exerted on Bahai citizens and religious minorities in Iran—a place where even illness, grief, and family bonds cannot stand in the way of implementing security and judicial policies.
Roya Sabeti, a Bahai citizen residing in the United Arab Emirates and detained in Adelphi Prison in Shiraz, after being denied specialized medical treatment and medical leave, now faces an even more painful deprivation: being prevented from seeing her ailing mother and attending her funeral service.
According to reports from human rights organizations, Roya Sabeti’s request for leave to be with her mother, Nosrat Momtaz, who was hospitalized, was rejected on September 4, 2026. Just one day later, on September 5, her mother passed away. Subsequently, a renewed request for leave to attend the funeral service and mourn her mother was met with opposition from the prosecutor’s office and judicial authorities.
This incident occurred while the Sabeti family had already experienced a significant loss. Roya Sabeti’s father passed away in November of the previous year, while his daughter was serving time in prison. Her mother subsequently suffered a stroke following her husband’s death and was hospitalized for treatment.
As a result, Roya Sabeti not only lost the opportunity to care for her ailing mother, but according to published reports, was not even permitted to leave prison for a final farewell.
This case did not emerge in a vacuum. In the summer of 2026, Roya Sabeti was also denied access to specialized medical treatment and medical leave after sustaining severe injuries to her lower back and neck while in prison. Published reports indicate that after a fall in prison, she submitted several written requests to be sent for forensic medical examination and to receive medical leave, but these requests were not fulfilled.
In August, it was also reported that her physical condition had deteriorated, and she suffered from severe headaches and dizziness. These reports also indicated a severe drop in her blood oxygen levels.
Roya Sabeti, a mother of two and a resident of the United Arab Emirates, traveled to Shiraz in December 2023 to care for her aging and ill parents. She was arrested by Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces in February of that year and, after approximately five months of detention, was released on bail.
The First Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz convicted her in 2025 to a total of 25 years imprisonment. The verdict issued included charges such as “cooperation and contact with Israeli nationals and institutions,” “forming and administering a group with the intent to act against national security,” and “propagandistic activity of a sect contrary to Islamic law.” The Fars Province Court of Appeals upheld this sentence, and under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment of 10 years imprisonment was declared enforceable. Roya Sabeti was transferred to Adelphi Prison in November 2025 to serve her sentence.
Roya Sabeti’s case cannot be viewed as merely an individual legal matter. International human rights organizations have reported in recent months on intensified pressure against the Iranian Bahai community. Human Rights Watch stated in a report that the Islamic Republic escalated arrests, unfair trials, and confiscation of Bahai assets in 2025, a process that was part of a broader pattern of discrimination against this religious minority.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also reported that following Iran-Israel tensions in 2025, Bahais, Christians, and Jews were among groups subjected to a new wave of arrests and security pressures. Regarding Bahais, these organizations pointed to the use of accusations such as “espionage” or “cooperation with Israel” as well as government propaganda against this community.
United Nations reports also show that concerns about the situation of Bahais in Iran remain ongoing. UN experts warned in 2026 about allegations of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and mistreatment of members of the Bahai community.
In such circumstances, the story of Roya Sabeti is not merely the tale of one prisoner and one grieving family; it is an example of a larger question about the status of religious minorities within the legal and security structure of the Islamic Republic. When a citizen’s religious affiliation can be raised in their legal case as a basis for accusation, and when a sick prisoner is prevented from visiting her dying mother or attending her funeral, the issue is no longer merely the execution of a court ruling; the issue concerns the relationship between law, human dignity, and freedom of conscience.
For Iran’s Christian community and other religious minorities, this case serves as a reminder of a troubling reality: pressure on one religious minority is not an issue confined to that community alone. Freedom of conscience and the right to hold religious beliefs are meaningful only when respected for all citizens, regardless of their religion or faith.
Roya Sabeti’s case also demonstrates that pressure on religious minorities can extend beyond arrest and imprisonment and reach the most private moments of a family’s life—from the illness of parents to mourning and final farewells. Denying a prisoner the opportunity to say goodbye to her mother raises serious questions about the respect for humanitarian considerations and fundamental prisoners’ rights in Iran.
