Baha'i citizen Paridokht Shojaei summoned to face imprisonment

"Paridokht Shojaei", a Baha'i citizen, was summoned to the Execution Branch of Kerman Prison to serve his sentence.

Paridokht Shojaei, Fawad Shakraarkani, Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah, and Behnam Pourahmari were arrested in July of last year (1402) following an intelligence officers raid on Shahram Fallah's home. After raiding his home, the officers thoroughly searched Shahram Fallah's home and the cars of his guests, and confiscated the personal belongings of these Baha'i citizens, including their cell phones.

Fawad Shakararkani and Behnam Pourahmari were released on bail at the end of the same month, and Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah, and Paridokht Shojaei were released on bail in August. After that, the first court hearing on their charges was held in Bahman 1402, and the second court hearing was held in early Ordibehesht of this year (1403), and they were ultimately sentenced to pay a fine and be deprived of social rights.

Some time after their release and the verdict issued against them, the verdict issued against Paridokht Shojaei was overturned for unclear reasons, and then he received a notification from the court that he had been sentenced in absentia to two years and one month in prison and five years of deprivation of social rights. After an appeal against this verdict, the verdict was again confirmed in the Court of Appeal.

According to an informed source, Ms. Shojaei has been summoned to the Kerman Prison Execution Branch this week to serve her sentence of two years and one month in prison, via several phone calls. Her prison sentence was issued while the other defendants in the case were acquitted of the charges on appeal, and only Paridokht Shojaei was sentenced to prison and social exclusion.

For years, Baha'i, Christian, and other religious minority citizens have been deprived of their freedom of religion and belief and have been persecuted by the Islamic Republic regime. However, according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of religion and to change their religion or belief, as well as the freedom to express it, individually or in community with others and in public or in private.