Mahvash Sabet, 72-Year-Old Baha'i Prisoner, Underwent Heart Surgery

Mahvash Sabet, a former manager of the 'Baha'i Community of Iran' who is imprisoned in the women's section of Evin Prison, underwent 'open-heart surgery.' According to HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, this 72-year-old prisoner was finally sent to the hospital on Saturday, December 1, after delays in treatment, and underwent open-heart surgery on Wednesday, December 6. Mahvash Sabet (Shahriari) was sentenced to '10 years in prison, a two-year travel ban, prohibition of residence in Tehran, prohibition from participating in social groups, and confiscation of several digital devices' by Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran in Azar 1401 (December 2022). This sentence was confirmed without alteration by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals. Baha'i citizens have faced widespread discrimination since the 1979 revolution, 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 of Baha'i citizens by the Iranian government 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 against Baha'is. This summer, ten political prisoners held in the women's section of Evin Prison issued a statement declaring that their political views do not prevent them from supporting 'Baha'i compatriots' and that they stand with them until the end of the 'additional suffering' imposed on this group of citizens in Iran. The European Union has called on the Iranian government to stop the 'harassment' of Baha'is. Two Baha'i women in Babol were tried on charges of 'acting against internal and external security.' The Revolutionary Court in Isfahan sentenced a Baha'i citizen to 10 years in prison, confiscation of property, and other penalties. A court session was held to address the charges against Payam Vali, a Baha'i citizen, in the Revolutionary Court of Karaj.