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Iranian court – archive
The Iranian regime continues to dictate arbitrary sentences against opponents. An Iranian court has handed down imprisonment and other punishments to 8 Bahá’ís, 6 men and 2 women, in Bandar Abbas, in the south of the country, according to statements by an informed source for the Voice of America website.
The source said the judge handed down two-year prison sentences for 6 people and a general prison sentence for the other two, and indicated that the eight Iranian Bahá’ís remain free on bail pending appeal of the sentences in the next weeks.
The court also imposed three additional sanctions, which prevent the eight Bahá’ís from being members of political and social organizations for two years, prohibit attendance at banquets and other Bahá’í gatherings, and require knowledge of Islam by attending five counseling sessions. at the Al-Sajjadiyah Cultural Institute for Islamic Thought in Bandar Abbas.
The Iranian authorities arrested the eight Baha’is in April 2017 for “spreading anti-government propaganda.”
The source said that before the verdicts were rendered, defense attorneys discovered that the court had reversed the charges against the eight Bahá’ís, accusing them of “meeting and conspiring to commit crimes against national security.”
The source added: “During the trial, the lawyers objected to the escalation of the charges against their clients, calling them unfair, but the judge ignored them.”
It should be noted that Iran received an additional reprimand on December 16, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing “grave concern over the continued severe and increasing restrictions on … recognized and unrecognized religious minorities, including … members of the Bahá’í faith. “
The resolution, which was approved by UN member states by 82 to 30, with 64 abstentions, also called on Iran to end “the denial and restrictions on access to education for members of recognized and unrecognized religious minorities. , including Bahá’í members. “
