Judiciary News Agency Denies 'Deteriorating Health' of Mahvash Sabet; Silence on Her Torture

The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, claimed in a report that 'news regarding the deterioration of her physical health' is not true and, while 'denying' it, stated that she has no specific problems. However, this news agency did not respond to reports about her torture. Mizan quoted prison officials stating that inquiries from this media outlet to the prison organization indicate that claims regarding Mahvash Sabet's health status are not accurate and that her medical file shows she has been sent several times for examination to medical centers outside the prison. While the judiciary's news agency denied Mahvash Sabet's 'deteriorating health', recent reports have focused more on her torture from some time ago. Notably, Ms. Sabet recently sent a joint message from inside prison with another Baha'i citizen during a virtual conference on saving Iran. In recent days, Robert Malley, the U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, reacted to reports from weeks ago regarding the torture of Mahvash Sabet, a Baha'i prisoner in Iran, and criticized it. He stated in a tweet: 'I was horrified by reports of Mahvash Sabet's kneecap being broken by Evin prison officials.' Mr. Malley added: 'No one should be imprisoned for their religious beliefs, let alone tortured in such a manner. The Iranian regime must immediately free Mahvash along with all political prisoners.' Mahvash Sabet is a former leader of the Baha'i community in Iran. She was arrested on July 30 last year, and the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced her again to ten years in prison. Ms. Sabet had previously served ten years in prison and was released on September 18, 2017, after completing her sentence. In April, Faezah Hashemi, daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, revealed details of Mahvash Sabet's torture in a voice recording before returning to prison. In this audio file published by 'Iran Wire', Faezah Hashemi refers to her conversations with Mahvash Sabet and states that the interrogator was hitting the chair she was facing the wall with, causing her knees to hit the wall, and after photography in prison, it was found that her knees were fractured. Previously, lawyer Hossein Ahmadi-Niaz also told Voice of America that Mahvash Sabet's torture is an example of the ongoing practices of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not recognize the Baha'i faith and persecutes its followers. Since the revolution, some Baha'i activists have been executed, and many have been arrested and imprisoned. Human rights organizations consider the widespread arrests and heavy sentences against Baha'i citizens by the Islamic Republic as 'systematic human rights violations.'