Heavy Prison Sentences and Fines Issued for 10 Baha'i Women in Iran

The first branch of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Tavakoli, issued heavy sentences for 10 Baha'i citizens, sentencing them in a primary court to long-term imprisonment, payment of millions of tomans in fines, travel bans, and restrictions on using social media. According to the ruling, which was exclusively obtained by Radio Farda on Sunday, October 21, and 'due to the security nature of the ruling, was communicated to these individuals in person,' Yeganeh Aghaei, Yeganeh Rouh-Bakhsh, Negin Khademi, Shana Shoghi-Far, Mojgan Shahrazehi, Parastoo Hakim, Arzoo Sobhanian, and Neda Badakhsh have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of 100 million tomans. Arzoo Sobhanian and Yeganeh Rouh-Bakhsh are mother and daughter. According to the court's ruling, one-third of the sentence for Negin Khademi, Yeganeh Aghaei, and Yeganeh Rouh-Bakhsh, and half of the sentences for Mojgan Shahrazehi, Parastoo Hakim, Arzoo Sobhanian, Neda Badakhsh, and Shana Shoghi-Far have been suspended. The Revolutionary Court also sentenced Neda Emadi and Bahareh Lotfi to 5 years in prison and a fine of 50 million tomans, with 4 years of their prison terms suspended. Based on the rulings issued by the first branch of the Revolutionary Court, all 10 individuals have also been sentenced to two years of travel bans and two years of restrictions on using social media. The court also announced that the mobile phones, laptops, and all digital devices, as well as any gold jewelry and any amount of US and Australian dollars they possess, will be confiscated 'for the benefit of the Muslim Fund.' In August, Radio Farda reported that these 10 Baha'i women had been accused by the 18th branch of the Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Isfahan of 'promoting' Baha'i beliefs. The charges against these Baha'i women include 'deviant educational propaganda activities contrary to the principles and beliefs of the Islamic faith through promoting and teaching Baha'i beliefs.' The Revolutionary Court in Isfahan cited 'holding English language classes, painting, music, yoga, and nature camps for children, minors, and Iranian and Afghan youth' as examples of these charges. Radio Farda also learned that the names of about '150 private plaintiffs' are included in the indictment against these Baha'i women. These 10 Baha'i women were arrested by security agencies on October 23, 2022, in Isfahan. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not recognize the Baha'i faith. Judicial authorities have repeatedly labeled Baha'is as 'spies and enemies' and have issued death sentences, arrests, prison terms, and bans on education and employment against them.