“Farrough Ramm,” Protesting Bahai Citizen, Sent to Prison to Serve Sentence

The Islamic Republic has once again imprisoned a Bahai citizen; a 29-year-old woman who has been sentenced to one year in prison for publishing materials about December protests. Farrough Ramm, a resident of Zahedan, was arrested to serve her sentence despite reports from human rights sources indicating that she was denied access to a defense lawyer during court sessions and had previously lost her job under pressure from security agencies. Her case once again highlights concerns about the suppression of protesters and discrimination against religious minorities in Iran.

According to reports from human rights organizations, Farrough Ramm was arrested on Tuesday, October 13, after visiting the enforcement office, and was transferred to Zahedan Central Prison to serve her one-year sentence.

She was previously arrested at her private residence on December 30, 1404 (Hijri calendar). After her arrest, government forces subjected her to interrogation and judicial proceedings, after which she was temporarily released on bail. However, the temporary release was not the end of the matter, and she must now spend one year of her life behind prison bars.

The charges against Farrough Ramm are related to activity in cyberspace and the publication of materials connected to the December 1404 protests. However, published reports on the legal proceedings raise serious questions about whether her legal rights were respected.

According to sources close to Farrough Ramm’s family, whose information was also published in Hrana’s report, she was not permitted to have her defense lawyer present during court sessions. These sources also stated that she was fired from her job at the directive of security agencies and under pressure from the Intelligence Ministry.

If these reports are verified, Farrough Ramm’s case is not merely an example of deprivation of freedom; rather, it is a picture of pressures that can simultaneously target a citizen’s professional life, personal security, and right to legal defense.

The right to a lawyer and a fair trial is not a privilege that the government can grant or revoke based on individuals’ political views or religious beliefs. These rights must be guaranteed to all citizens without discrimination.

Farrough Ramm’s arrest and imprisonment occur at a time when Iran’s Bahai community has repeatedly reported cases of detention, judicial conviction, employment and educational deprivation, and restrictions on religious and social activities over past years. Reports from human rights organizations also describe continuous pressure on Bahais and security actions against members of this community.

Under such circumstances, the case of a Bahai citizen who has been imprisoned for publishing materials related to protests and, according to reports, has been denied access to a lawyer, cannot be examined separately from broader concerns about freedom of expression and the rights of religious minorities.

Bahais are not the only group facing religious restrictions in Iran. Followers of certain Christian churches, particularly converted Christians and other religious minorities, have also been reported in human rights reports to face arrest, interrogation, restrictions on holding ceremonies, and pressure due to their religious activities.

For the Christian community, defending Farrough Ramm’s rights does not mean ignoring doctrinal differences; rather, it means defending a fundamental principle: no human being should be deprived of their basic rights because of their religious belief, religious identity, or peaceful expression of their views.

Farrough Ramm’s case also shows that the consequences of the December 1404 protests have not ended with people’s departure from the streets. Those arrested may still face judicial proceedings, prison sentences, and social and employment deprivations.

The government may describe these actions within the framework of law enforcement; however, law enforcement is meaningful only when the law itself and the legal proceedings respect citizens’ fundamental rights. Publishing critical materials or materials related to protests should not in itself be a pretext for depriving individuals of fair trial or applying pressures outside the judicial process.

In Farrough Ramm’s case, reports of denial of lawyer access and termination from employment raise questions that responsible authorities must answer. Transparency regarding charges, possibility of effective defense, and independent examination of claims regarding security pressure are minimum requirements of a fair legal process.

Farrough Ramm now spends her days in Zahedan Prison, while her family faces the consequences of her arrest and conviction. Her case reminds us of the reality that religious freedom and freedom of expression are inseparable: when a citizen is subjected to pressure because of her beliefs or peaceful activities, the principle of equal citizenship is also called into question.

From the perspective of human rights and shared human values among followers of different religions, defending religious freedom means defending every person’s right to hold beliefs, change beliefs, hold no religious belief, and peacefully express their views. This right must not be subject to government wishes or dependent on whether individuals belong to a majority or minority.

Farrough Ramm should not be denied the right to a fair trial because of her Bahai faith or her expression of views. The authorities of the Islamic Republic must answer questions about the proceedings in her case, reports of her denial of a lawyer, and claims that she was fired under security pressure.

As long as citizens face imprisonment and deprivation because of their religious beliefs or expression of views, claims of respect for citizens’ rights will face serious questions. Freedom of religion and conscience, freedom of expression, and the right to fair trial must be guaranteed to all Iranian people, not only to those whose beliefs and views are approved by the government.