Indictment Issued Against 15 Baha'i Women on Charges of Propaganda Against the Regime and Activities Contradicting Islam

An indictment has been issued against 15 Baha'i women on charges of 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic and participation in deviant educational and promotional activities contrary to Islamic law' in the Isfahan prosecutor's office. According to HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, on Wednesday, April 22, Branch 18 of the Isfahan prosecutor's office issued an indictment against 15 Baha'i citizens, including 'Majgan Pourshafie, Nasrin Khademi, Azita Rezvani-Khah, Shohreh Ashouri, Mojdeh Bahamin, Bashari Motahar, Sara Shakib, Samira Shakib, Roya Azadkhush, Nushin Hemmat, Shourangiz Bahamin, Sanaz Rasteh, Maryam Khorsandi, Firoozeh Rastinejad, and Farkhondeh Rezvan-Pey.' The indictment against these 15 women was announced on the 20th of Farvardin with the charges of 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic' and 'participation in deviant educational and promotional activities contrary to Islam.' Previously, in 1400 (2021), several of these Baha'i women, including 'Bashari Motahar, Sara Shakib, Sanaz Rasteh, Shohreh Ashouri, Shourangiz Bahamin, Firoozeh Rastinejad, Maryam Khorsandi, Majgan Pourshafie, Nasrin Khademi, and Nushin Hemmat,' had been arrested and later temporarily released on bail. Additionally, HRANA has documented the searches of the homes of 'Roya Azadkhush and Samira Shakib.' Baha'i citizens in Iran have been systematically persecuted by the government for the past 45 years since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Recently, Human Rights Watch reported that the actions of the Islamic Republic against Baha'is in Iran fall under 'crimes against humanity' and emphasized that this issue should be examined by the International Criminal Court. Furthermore, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department expressed deep concern over the repression of the Baha'i community in Iran, stating that Washington would use all available tools to combat human rights violations by the Islamic Republic.