Another Baha'i citizen sentenced to 5 years in prison in Iran
The five-year prison sentence of a Baha'i citizen living in Tehran, Samin Maghsoudi, was upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeal.
According to news published on social media, the five-year prison sentence of Samin Maghsoudi, a Baha'i citizen living in Tehran, which was previously issued by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, was confirmed by Branch 36 of the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeal, presided over by Judge Zargar Aina.
Human rights activist Morteza Esmailpour described Ms. Maghsoudi's accusation on his Twitter page as "the administration of the Baha'i organization" and wrote that this Baha'i citizen was sentenced to five years in prison simply for holding a ceremony to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the prophet of the Baha'i faith.
Samin Maghsoudi was arrested by security agents at his home in October 2017 and was temporarily released after posting bail until the end of the trial.
Recently, two Baha'i citizens living in Kerman, Kiana Rezvani and Kimia Mostafavi, were sentenced to a total of twelve years in prison by the Kerman Revolutionary Court on charges of "membership in a Baha'i organization" and "propaganda against the regime in favor of groups opposed to the regime."
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said during the unveiling of the annual Religious Freedom Report that the repression of Baha'is, Christians, and other religious and sectarian minorities in Iran continues to be a cause for serious concern.
Javed Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, also said in his second report on the human rights situation in Iran in August of this year: "The Islamic Republic no longer executes Baha'is solely for their religious beliefs, but the risk of raids, arrests, and imprisonment is constant, and since August 2005, more than 1,168 Baha'is have been arrested and faced with vague and ambiguous charges."
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
