Iran: Four Baha’is Sentenced to 12 Years Prison

International Liberty Association: The Revolutionary Court has sentenced four Baha’is to a total of 12 years prison in Iran.
The Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Mona Mehrabi, Elham Kerempisheh, Afsaneh Yadegar Ardestani and Ehsanollah Yadegar Ardestani to a total of 12 years of prison.
It should be mentioned that, these four Baha’is were tried in absentia in 2019 and sentenced to a total of 20 years. The sentence was later reduced to 3 years of prison for each person.
They have been charged with “membership in illegal organizations which are threats to national security.”
ILA has repeatedly reported that, Iranian Baha’is are deprived of freedom of religion as stated in Article 18 of the Core International Human Rights Treaties.
The Iranian state does not recognize the Baha’i community, with more than 300,000 members in the country. Instead, for four decades, they have been routinely harassed, prosecuted, and imprisoned solely for practicing their faith.
In past years, scores of followers have been detained and harassed by Iranian authorities.
Iran severely restricts Baha’is right to education, including prohibiting Baha’i students from registering at universities and expelling them if their identities are discovered.
The persecution of Iran’s Baha’is is still ongoing with dozens of Baha’is languishing in prisons throughout Iran.