Four-year prison sentences for four Baha'i citizens upheld by the Court of Appeals
According to the Human Rights in Iran website and based on available information, the one-year prison sentence for each of these four Baha'i citizens, which was previously issued by Branch 1 of the Alborz Revolutionary Court on charges of "propaganda against the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and in favor of Baha'iism," was confirmed by the Alborz Provincial Court of Appeal.
It should be noted that the verdict issued on Tuesday, May 29, was communicated to these Baha'i citizens in the presence of the appeals court.
Previously, Voice of America reported that Ruhollah Zibiyeh and Abolfazl Ansari, two Baha'i citizens living in Karaj, were arrested by the city's security officers in their private homes on Saturday, August 3.
On the other hand, Ruin Kohnsal was arrested in her home in mid-August and transferred to Rajaei Prison in Karaj. On September 3, she was temporarily released from prison after posting bail until the end of the trial.
The Islamic Republic has a long history of treating Baha’i citizens, and this is not the first time that Baha’i citizens have been arrested or sentenced to prison terms solely for their beliefs. However, these prison sentences are being issued and confirmed at a time when the coronavirus is spreading in Iranian prisons and Iranian government officials have prevented the release or granting leave to some political and civil prisoners.
Earlier, Javed Rehman, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, called on Tehran to temporarily release all prisoners. He had previously said that the continued detention of political prisoners amid the coronavirus outbreak was “regrettable and concerning.”
International human rights organizations and the United States government have repeatedly condemned the persecution and imprisonment of followers of religious minorities in Iran.
Source: Voice of America
