Anisa Fanayan, a Baha'i citizen in Semnan Province, sentenced to 8 years in prison

Anisa Fanayan, a Baha'i resident of Semnan, was sentenced to 8 years in prison by the 7th branch of the Court of Appeals in this province. In this court session, presided over by Javad Raeisi on Wednesday, December 5, she was sentenced to 7 years for forming a group aimed at undermining national security and 1 year for propaganda against the regime. According to this news received by Voice of America, Anisa Fanayan was arrested by the security forces of the Islamic Republic at her home in Semnan last August and was sentenced to 16 years in prison and other penalties in March. Ms. Fanayan was also imprisoned for one year in 2012 while her husband was serving a 3-year prison sentence, during which their children, aged 3 and 7, were with relatives. One of the reasons for this sentence was her teaching assistance to several Afghan children. Other reasons include her participation in an online memorial held in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic for Ataullah Rezvani, a Baha'i citizen and Anisa Fanayan's uncle, who was murdered in 2013 in Bandar Abbas. Since the 1979 revolution, Baha'i citizens have faced widespread deprivation, including dismissal from government jobs, confiscation of property, closure of businesses, denial of education, and destruction of cemeteries. According to last year's annual report by the International Religious Freedom Commission, the repression, violence, discrimination, and social stigmatization by the Iranian government against Baha'i citizens have intensified. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has also expressed concern over the increased pressure on religious minorities in Iran and the Islamic Republic's campaign to arrest Baha'is. The Baha'i World Community reported on November 12, with a report titled 'Outsiders: Multifaceted Violence Against Baha'is in the Islamic Republic of Iran,' that Shia clerics in Iran have historically labeled Baha'is as 'impure' to justify their discrimination and oppression, leading to crimes against humanity in terms of religious suppression. Reports indicate that in some cities, the money, currency, and gold of Baha'is, as well as their identification documents and property deeds, have been confiscated, and in some homes, their property documents have been seized by security agents. Mahvash Sabet, a 72-year-old Baha'i prisoner, underwent heart surgery. There is no news about 4 Baha'i citizens arrested in Shiraz. Bahram Azargan, a Baha'i artist, was sentenced to 7 years in prison. The Baha'i World Community welcomed the condemnation of the Islamic Republic's human rights record and unveiled the report 'Outsiders: Multifaceted Violence Against Baha'is in the Islamic Republic.' Two human rights and Baha'i organizations criticized the Islamic Republic for the repression of Baha'is.