Hearing Session for 10 Baha'i Women in Isfahan; They Are Accused of 'Propaganda Against the Regime'

Human rights media reported that a hearing session regarding the charge of 'propaganda against the regime' for 10 Baha'i women was held on Monday, October 2, at the first branch of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Tavakoli. According to the HRANA news agency, these Baha'i citizens are Neda Badakhsh, Arzu Sabhanian, Yeganeh Rouh-Bakhsh, Mojgan Shahrezaei, Parastoo Hakim, Yeganeh Aghahi, Bahareh Lotfi, Shana Shoghi-Far, Negin Khademi, and Neda Emadi. Reports indicate that while they rejected the charges against them, they complained about physical and verbal abuse during interrogation sessions, to which the judge expressed 'surprise and ignorance.' These 10 Iranian Baha'i women were arrested by the forces of the Islamic Republic on October 23, 2023, and were released from the Dowlatabad prison in Isfahan on different dates after two months, upon posting bail. The Baha'i community worldwide, on the same day as Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the 14th government of the Islamic Republic, was present at the United Nations headquarters in New York, issued a statement emphasizing that 'the promises have no effect on the bitter reality,' declaring that the harassment and oppression of Baha'is in Iran has intensified. The statement also emphasized: 'The Baha'i community worldwide is alarmingly aware of new instances of the government's ongoing efforts to cleanse Iran of Baha'i history and identity.' According to unofficial sources, over 300,000 Baha'is live in Iran, but the constitution of the Islamic Republic not only does not recognize the Baha'i faith but also acts against it. For decades, Islamic Republic judicial authorities have deprived Baha'i citizens of their civil rights, including the right to education, and have described their non-governmental education as 'deviant' in the charges brought against them. Human rights organizations state that the rights of Baha'is in Iran have consistently been violated in a 'systematic' manner over the years, and government pressures on them have increased in recent months. The reaction of the Baha'i community to Pezeshkian's presence at the UN: the oppression of Baha'is in Iran has intensified. Negar Misaqian, a Baha'i citizen residing in Shiraz, has been accused of 'propaganda against the regime.' The Ministry of Intelligence agents raided the residence of Baha'is in Tabriz; three people were arrested. The Kerman Court of Appeals confirmed the prison sentence of a Baha'i citizen. The Isfahan Revolutionary Court summoned 10 Baha'i women in Isfahan. Anisa Samimian told Voice of America: 'The Islamic Republic accused me of promoting Baha'ism through teaching piano.'