Continued Persecution of Religious Minorities in Iran| Bahai Citizen Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
In the ongoing persecution of Bahai citizens in Iran, Ali Ahmadi, a Bahai citizen residing in Qaemshahr, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court.
According to a report by the Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners, this Bahai citizen was sentenced to 11 years in prison by the Qaemshahr Revolutionary Court on charges of “propaganda against the system,” and the verdict was announced to him on Monday, November 11. The sentence was issued on that date.
According to this report, Mr. Ahmadi was arrested by security forces in his home in late November 2018. After some time, on Wednesday, December 12 of the same year, he was temporarily released pending a bail of 150 million tomans until the end of legal proceedings.
The Islamic Republic’s treatment of Bahai citizens has a long history, and this is not the first time that a Bahai citizen has been arrested solely because of their faith in the Bahai religion and sentenced to judicial penalties such as lengthy prison terms.
Previously, Ardeshir Fanavian, Yalda Firouzian, and Behnam Eskandarian, Bahai citizens residing in Semnan, who were arrested by security forces on Tuesday, April 30, 2019, were collectively sentenced to 20 years in prison approximately six months after their arrest by Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Semnan County under the presidency of Mohammad Ali Rostami.
Recently, representatives of 33 countries, including the United States, on Friday, November 17, at a periodic session reviewing the human rights situation in Iran, criticized the violation of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, including Bahai citizens in Iran, and called on the Iranian government to respect their rights.
Previously, Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, in remarks during the release of the annual report on religious freedom, said that the persecution of Bahais, Christians, and other religious and sectarian minorities in Iran remains a cause of serious concern.
International human rights organizations and the United States have repeatedly condemned the harassment and imprisonment of followers of religious minorities in Iran.
Source: Voice of America
