Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Iran, has sentenced 26 Bahá’ís to a combined total of 85 years in prison. Their crime? Gathering with others to address local community needs in relation to the severe water crisis across the region.

As a consequence of trying to work in their communities to address water shortages, the 26 Bahá'ís were each charged with assembly and collusion, “for the purpose of causing intellectual and ideological insecurity in Muslim society.” 

As well as prison sentences ranging from 2-5 years, the court also imposed internal banishments, travel bans, confiscated passports and issued orders to report daily to a provincial intelligence office.  

Many of those sentenced to prison are couples with young children. “How can parents care for their young children when they are being unjustly imprisoned?” said Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “Separating children from parents is inhumane and designed to torment and destroy Iran’s Bahá’í community. And just as these parents have a responsibility to their children, so too does Iran’s government, to all its citizens and in particular its children. The government is committing a gross injustice against these children by separating them from their parents.”

Yekta Fahandezh Saadi, Lala Salehi, Bahareh Norouzi, Rezvan Yazdani and Mojgan Gholampour were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years and ordering them to report themselves daily, for two years, to the provincial intelligence office. 

Nabil Tahzib, Sahba Moslehi, Behnam Azizpour, Esmail Rousta, Ramin Shirvani and
Saied Hasani, were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law and banned from leaving the country for 2 years by revoking their passports.  In addition they were exiled from Shiraz and sent to other parts of the country - Nabil Tahzib forced to reside in Izeh, Sahba Moslehi in Ferdows, Behnam Azizpour in Dehdasht, Esmail Rousta in Bafq, Yazd, Ramin Shirvani in Baghmalek, Saied Hasani in Lordegan, along with daily reporting to the provincial intelligence service.

Maryam Eslami, Parisa Rouhizadegan, Marjan Gholampour, Shadi Sadegh Aqdam, Ahdieh Enayati, Samareh Ashnaie, Nasim Kashaninejad, Sahba Farahbakhsh and Noushin Zenhari were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years, along with daily reporting to the provincial intelligence office for two years.

Mahyar Sefidi, Varqa Kaviani, Shamim Akhlaghi, Farzad Shadman, Farbud Shadman and Soroush Ighani were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country with the revocation of their passport. In addition they were internally exiled for two years, forced residency was imposed on Mahyar Sefidi in Lamerd, Varqa Kaviani in Kashmar, Shamim Akhlaghi in Semirom, Farzad Shadman in Minab, Farbud Shadman in Firuzabad and Soroush Ighani in Mehriz, along with reporting to the provincial intelligence service on a daily basis for two years.

_____________________________________

The Bahá’ís, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, have been persecuted in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A secret memorandum approved by Iran’s Supreme Leader in 1991 calls for the “progress and development” of the Bahá'í community to be blocked by barring them from university, disrupting their ability to earn livelihoods, and through other discriminatory means. 

Click here for more information on the Situation of Baha'is in Iran 

Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Iran, has sentenced 26 Bahá’ís to a combined total of 85 years in prison. Their crime? Gathering with others across Shiraz to address local community needs in relation to the severe water crisis in the region. 

As a consequence of trying to work in their communities to address water shortages, the 26 Bahá'ís were each charged with assembly and collusion, “for the purpose of causing intellectual and ideological insecurity in Muslim society.” 

As well as prison sentences from 2-5 years, the court also imposed internal banishments, travel bans, confiscated passports and issued orders to report daily to a provincial intelligence office.  

Many of those sentenced to prison are couples with young children. “How can parents care for their young children when they are being unjustly imprisoned?” said Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “Separating children from parents is inhumane and designed to torment and destroy Iran’s Bahá’í community. And just as these parents have a responsibility to their children, so too does Iran’s government, to all its citizens and in particular its children. The government is committing a gross injustice against these children by separating them from their parents.”

Yekta Fahandezh Saadi, Lala Salehi, Bahareh Norouzi, Rezvan Yazdani, Mojgan Gholampour were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years and ordering them to report themselves daily, for two years, to the provincial intelligence office. 

Nabil Tahzib, Sahba Moslehi, Behnam Azizpour, Esmail Rousta, Ramin Shirvani and Saied Hasani, were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law and banned from leaving the country for 2 years by revoking their passports.  In addition they were exiled from Shiraz and sent to other parts of the country - Nabil Tahzib forced to reside in Izeh, Sahba Moslehi in Ferdows, Behnam Azizpour in Dehdasht, Esmail Rousta in Bafq, Yazd, Ramin Shirvani in Baghmalek, Saied Hasani in Lordegan, along with daily reporting to the provincial intelligence service.

Maryam Eslami, Parisa Rouhizadegan, Marjan Gholampour, Shadi Sadegh Aqdam, Ahdieh Enayati, Samareh Ashnaie, Nasim Kashaninejad, Sahba Farahbakhsh and Noushin Zenhari were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years, along with daily reporting to the provincial intelligence office for two years.

Mahyar Sefidi, Varqa Kaviani, Shamim Akhlaghi, Farzad Shadman, Farbud Shadman and Soroush Ighani were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country with the revocation of their passport. In addition they were internally exiled for two years, forced residency was imposed on Mahyar Sefidi in Lamerd, Varqa Kaviani in Kashmar, Shamim Akhlaghi in Semirom, Farzad Shadman in Minab, Farbud
Shadman in Firuzabad and Soroush Ighani in Mehriz, along with reporting to the provincial intelligence service on a daily basis for two years.

_____________________________________

The Bahá’ís, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, have been persecuted in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A secret memorandum approved by Iran’s Supreme Leader in 1991 calls for the “progress and development” of the Bahá'í community to be blocked by barring them from university, disrupting their ability to earn livelihoods, and through other discriminatory means.

Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Iran, has sentenced 26 Bahá’ís to a combined total of 85 years in prison. Their crime? Gathering with others across Shiraz to address local community needs in relation to the severe water crisis in the region. 

As a consequence of trying to work in their communities to address water shortages, the 26 Bahá'ís were each charged with assembly and collusion, “for the purpose of causing intellectual and ideological insecurity in Muslim society.” 

As well as prison sentences from 2-5 years, the court also imposed internal banishments, travel bans, confiscated passports and issued orders to report daily to a provincial intelligence office.  

Many of those sentenced to prison are couples with young children. “How can parents care for their young children when they are being unjustly imprisoned?” said Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “Separating children from parents is inhumane and designed to torment and destroy Iran’s Bahá’í community. And just as these parents have a responsibility to their children, so too does Iran’s government, to all its citizens and in particular its children. The government is committing a gross injustice against these children by separating them from their parents.”

Yekta Fahandezh Saadi, Lala Salehi, Bahareh Norouzi, Rezvan Yazdani, Mojgan Gholampour were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years and ordering them to report themselves daily, for two years, to the provincial intelligence office. 

Nabil Tahzib, Sahba Moslehi, Behnam Azizpour, Esmail Rousta, Ramin Shirvani and Saied Hasani, were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law and banned from leaving the country for 2 years by revoking their passports.  In addition they were exiled from Shiraz and sent to other parts of the country - Nabil Tahzib forced to reside in Izeh, Sahba Moslehi in Ferdows, Behnam Azizpour in Dehdasht, Esmail Rousta in Bafq, Yazd, Ramin Shirvani in Baghmalek, Saied Hasani in Lordegan, along with daily reporting to the provincial intelligence service.

Maryam Eslami, Parisa Rouhizadegan, Marjan Gholampour, Shadi Sadegh Aqdam, Ahdieh Enayati, Samareh Ashnaie, Nasim Kashaninejad, Sahba Farahbakhsh and Noushin Zenhari were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years, along with daily reporting to the provincial intelligence office for two years.

Mahyar Sefidi, Varqa Kaviani, Shamim Akhlaghi, Farzad Shadman, Farbud Shadman and Soroush Ighani were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country with the revocation of their passport. In addition they were internally exiled for two years, forced residency was imposed on Mahyar Sefidi in Lamerd, Varqa Kaviani in Kashmar, Shamim Akhlaghi in Semirom, Farzad Shadman in Minab, Farbud Shadman in Firuzabad and Soroush Ighani in Mehriz, along with reporting to the provincial intelligence service on a daily basis for two years.

_________________________________________________________________________

The Bahá’ís, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, have been persecuted in Iran
since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A secret memorandum approved by Iran’s Supreme
Leader in 1991 calls for the “progress and development” of the Bahá'í community to be
blocked by barring them from university, disrupting their ability to earn livelihoods, and
through other discriminatory means.

Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Iran, has sentenced 26 Bahá’ís to a combined total of 85 years in prison. Their crime? Gathering with others across Shiraz to address local community needs in relation to the severe water crisis in the region. 

As a consequence of trying to work in their communities to address water shortages, the 26 Bahá'ís were each charged with assembly and collusion, “for the purpose of causing intellectual and ideological insecurity in Muslim society.” 

As well as prison sentences from 2-5 years, the court also imposed internal banishments, travel bans, confiscated passports and issued orders to report daily to a provincial intelligence office.  

Many of those sentenced to prison are couples with young children. “How can parents care for their young children when they are being unjustly imprisoned?” said Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “Separating children from parents is inhumane and designed to torment and destroy Iran’s Bahá’í community. And just as these parents have a responsibility to their children, so too does Iran’s government, to all its citizens and in particular its children. The government is committing a gross injustice against these children by separating them from their parents.”

Yekta Fahandezh Saadi, Lala Salehi, Bahareh Norouzi, Rezvan Yazdani, Mojgan Gholampour were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years and ordering them to report themselves daily, for two years, to the provincial intelligence office. 

Nabil Tahzib, Sahba Moslehi, Behnam Azizpour, Esmail Rousta, Ramin Shirvani and
Saied Hasani, were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law and banned
from leaving the country for 2 years by revoking their passports.  In addition they were exiled from Shiraz and sent to other parts of the country - Nabil Tahzib forced to reside in Izeh, Sahba Moslehi in Ferdows, Behnam Azizpour in Dehdasht, Esmail Rousta in Bafq, Yazd, Ramin Shirvani in Baghmalek, Saied Hasani in Lordegan, along with daily reporting to the provincial intelligence service.

Maryam Eslami, Parisa Rouhizadegan, Marjan Gholampour, Shadi Sadegh Aqdam,
Ahdieh Enayati, Samareh Ashnaie, Nasim Kashaninejad, Sahba Farahbakhsh and
Noushin Zenhari were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned
from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years, along with daily
reporting to the provincial intelligence office for two years.

Mahyar Sefidi, Varqa Kaviani, Shamim Akhlaghi, Farzad Shadman, Farbud Shadman and Soroush Ighani were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country with the revocation of their passport. In addition they were internally exiled for two years, forced residency was imposed on Mahyar Sefidi in Lamerd, Varqa Kaviani in Kashmar, Shamim Akhlaghi in Semirom, Farzad Shadman in Minab, Farbud Shadman in Firuzabad and Soroush Ighani in Mehriz, along with reporting to the provincial intelligence service on a daily basis for two years.

_________________________________________________________________________

The Bahá’ís, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, have been persecuted in Iran
since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A secret memorandum approved by Iran’s Supreme
Leader in 1991 calls for the “progress and development” of the Bahá'í community to be blocked by barring them from university, disrupting their ability to earn livelihoods, and through other discriminatory means.

Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Iran, has sentenced 26 Bahá’ís to a combined total of 85 years in prison. Their crime? Gathering with others across Shiraz to address local community needs in relation to the severe water crisis in the region. 

As a consequence of trying to work in their communities to address water shortages, the 26 Bahá'ís were each charged with assembly and collusion, “for the purpose of causing intellectual and ideological insecurity in Muslim society.” 

As well as prison sentences from 2-5 years, the court also imposed internal banishments, travel bans, confiscated passports and issued orders to report daily to a provincial intelligence office.  

Many of those sentenced to prison are couples with young children. “How can parents care for their young children when they are being unjustly imprisoned?” said Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “Separating children from parents is inhumane and designed to torment and destroy Iran’s Bahá’í community. And just as these parents have a responsibility to their children, so too does Iran’s government, to all its citizens and in particular its children. The government is committing a gross injustice against these children by separating them from their parents.”

Yekta Fahandezh Saadi, Lala Salehi, Bahareh Norouzi, Rezvan Yazdani, Mojgan Gholampour were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years and ordering them to report themselves daily, for two years, to the provincial intelligence office. 

Nabil Tahzib, Sahba Moslehi, Behnam Azizpour, Esmail Rousta, Ramin Shirvani and
Saied Hasani, were each sentenced to 5 years in prison under tazir law and banned
from leaving the country for 2 years by revoking their passports.  In addition they were exiled from Shiraz and sent to other parts of the country - Nabil Tahzib forced to reside in Izeh, Sahba Moslehi in Ferdows, Behnam Azizpour in Dehdasht, Esmail Rousta in Bafq, Yazd, Ramin Shirvani in Baghmalek, Saied Hasani in Lordegan, along with daily reporting to the provincial intelligence service.

Maryam Eslami, Parisa Rouhizadegan, Marjan Gholampour, Shadi Sadegh Aqdam,
Ahdieh Enayati, Samareh Ashnaie, Nasim Kashaninejad, Sahba Farahbakhsh and
Noushin Zenhari were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned
from leaving the country by revoking their passports for two years, along with daily
reporting to the provincial intelligence office for two years.

Mahyar Sefidi, Varqa Kaviani, Shamim Akhlaghi, Farzad Shadman, Farbud Shadman and Soroush Ighani were each sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law, banned from leaving the country with the revocation of their passport. In addition they were internally exiled for two years, forced residency was imposed on Mahyar Sefidi in Lamerd, Varqa Kaviani in Kashmar, Shamim Akhlaghi in Semirom, Farzad Shadman in Minab, Farbud
Shadman in Firuzabad and Soroush Ighani in Mehriz, along with reporting to the
provincial intelligence service on a daily basis for two years.

_______________________________________________

The Bahá’ís, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, have been persecuted in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A secret memorandum approved by Iran’s Supreme Leader in 1991 calls for the “progress and development” of the Bahá'í community to be blocked by barring them from university, disrupting their ability to earn livelihoods, and through other discriminatory means.