A Baha'i Citizen in Shiraz Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for 'Propaganda Against the Regime'

Human rights activists in Iran report that Yekta Fahendaj Saadi, a Baha'i citizen residing in Shiraz, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Fars Province on charges of 'propaganda against the regime' and 'collusion and conspiracy'. The website 'HRANA' states that this Baha'i citizen was arrested in Bahman 1390 (January-February 2012) and again in Esfand 1392 (February-March 2014). In the first case, she was detained by 'intelligence agents' in Shiraz and in the second case, she was also arrested by the same organization, spending 82 days in detention during the first arrest and two months in the second. The Baha'i community had previously reported on their websites about the release of this Baha'i citizen following her first arrest, along with Farshid Yazdani and Sina Sarikhani, stating that these individuals were released on a bail of 100 million tomans. According to 'HRANA', the court had previously sentenced Ms. Fahendaj Saadi to five years in prison in 1390, but this sentence was later overturned and she was acquitted of the charges. Her latest arrest dates back to 27 Khordad (June 17), which ultimately led to the reissuance of the five-year prison sentence for her in Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz. Ms. Fahendaj Saadi was among those arrested during the mass detention of Baha'i citizens in Shiraz in 1390. The Baha'i faith is not recognized as a religion in Iran, and Iranian officials have repeatedly made various verbal attacks against this faith and its believers. These attacks have raised concerns among human rights officials at the United Nations. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern in Khordad (June) regarding the 'verbal attacks' and 'hostile remarks' made by Iranian officials against Baha'is in the country, creating 'hatred' against this minority. The persecution of Baha'is by the Iranian government and judiciary has led to resolutions and statements, including those from the United States. Iran faces sanctions from the European Union and the United States for human rights violations, which continue to this day.