Revolutionary Court Sentences a 'Follower of Erfan Halqeh' to Five Years in Prison

The judiciary of the Islamic Republic in Iran has sentenced Abolfazl Pourhosseini, a 'follower of Erfan Halqeh' in Karaj, to three years of prison and two years of suspended prison. According to HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, Abolfazl Pourhosseini stated during his trial that he does not accept the court's authority and did not sign his charges. HRANA reports that he has been transferred to the central prison of Karaj following the court's verdict. A source close to the family of this prisoner stated: 'Mr. Pourhosseini has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to three years of prison and two years of suspended prison. Additionally, a court session regarding his charges in another case was held recently in the second branch of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj concerning charges of propaganda against the regime and inciting and provoking people with the intent to disrupt the country's security.' According to HRANA, Abolfazl Pourhosseini was arrested in June of this year while distributing leaflets related to Erfan Halqeh by agents of the IRGC in Karaj. HRANA mentions that he had previously been arrested in 2022 for participating in Erfan Halqeh classes in Qom and was released after some time on bail. Mohammad Ali Taheri, the founder of 'Erfan Halqeh,' was arrested in May 2011 and sentenced to death by the 26th branch of the Revolutionary Court. However, after an appeal by Mr. Taheri's lawyer and the annulment of this sentence by the Supreme Court, the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to five years in prison. Mohammad Ali Taheri was released on May 23, 2019, and later left Iran for Canada. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom welcomed the granting of asylum to Mohammad Ali Taheri by Canada at that time. The U.S. State Department has repeatedly criticized the violation of the rights of religious minorities and the repression of individuals due to their beliefs in its reports on human rights in Iran. Since the 1979 revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the scope of freedom of expression in Iran has become increasingly restricted, and religious and ethnic minorities have faced extensive limitations, forcing many Jews, Baha'is, Christians, and individuals with differing thoughts and views from the government to leave their homeland due to discriminatory laws against citizens. In recent years, believers in various mystical traditions, including Erfan Halqeh, have also been added to the list of discriminated minorities in the Islamic Republic. Shahla Shafigh, a sociologist, previously stated in an interview with VOA that Baha'is, another religious minority in Iran, are a 'symbol of resistance' and also 'discrimination' in the Islamic Republic, emphasizing that 'everyone must unite against oppression.'