Saeed Rezaei, a Leader of the Baha'is in Iran, Released After Serving 10 Years in Prison

The Baha'i World Community announced on Friday that Saeed Rezaei, one of the seven members of the former leadership group of Baha'is in Iran, was released from prison after enduring nearly '10 years of unjust imprisonment' due to his beliefs. Mr. Rezaei and six others who formed the leadership group of the Baha'i community in Iran, known as the 'Yaran' group, were arrested in 2008 during a raid by security forces on their homes. The Yaran group, all seven members of whom were sentenced to long-term 10-year prison terms, was responsible for the leadership of Baha'is in Iran and attended to the social and spiritual affairs of the followers of this faith in Iran. The Baha'i World Community states that the Yaran group was formed 'with full knowledge and approval' of Iranian officials after the previous Baha'i institutions were deemed illegal about three decades ago. Regarding this prominent figure of Baha'is in Iran, the 'No to the Persecution and Imprisonment of Baha'i Citizens' campaign stated that Mr. Rezaei, who was born in Abadan and raised in Shiraz, has extensive knowledge in Baha'i studies and is the author of several books in this field. He, an agricultural engineer, managed an agricultural machinery company in Fars province before his arrest. He was also detained for a period in 2006, spending 40 days in solitary confinement. Mr. Rezaei, now 60 years old, is the fourth member of the Yaran group to be released after serving his sentence. Three other members of the Yaran group who were released in recent months after completing their prison terms are Fariba Kamalabadi, Mahvash Sabet, and Behrouz Tavakoli, while three others, Jamaleddin Khanjani, Vahid Tizfahm, and Afif Naimi, remain in prison. The release of Mr. Rezaei comes at a time when reports of the arrest of seven Baha'i citizens in Bushehr were published just days prior. According to the Baha'i World Community, his release occurs amidst ongoing persecution of Baha'is in Iran, with the situation for followers of this faith worsening during Hassan Rouhani's presidency. Diane Ala'i, the representative of the Baha'i World Community at the United Nations in Geneva, stated that despite the release of Mr. Rezaei and three other Baha'i leaders, the persecution and torture of Baha'is in Iran continue, and Mr. Ala'i now returns to a society still under heavy pressure from the Iranian government, facing discrimination and persecution solely because of their belief in the Baha'i faith. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran, the Baha'i community has consistently faced state-sponsored harassment, with followers of this faith subjected to executions, arrests, torture, imprisonment, and deprivation of social rights. This situation has always been a concern for human rights groups and activists, and international organizations have repeatedly urged Iran to cease the persecution of followers of this faith. Recently, 25 lawyers and legal experts from various countries wrote a letter to Iranian judicial authorities asking them to 'acknowledge the persecution and repression of Baha'is' and 'take action to improve the current situation.' The Islamic Republic does not recognize the Baha'i faith and refers to it with terms such as 'deviant sect.' Just recently, the Attorney General of Iran warned Iranian citizens that if they engage with Baha'is, they should expect legal consequences. The United Nations has described the Islamic Republic's treatment of Baha'i citizens in Iran as a case of 'systematic discrimination' and has protested against it.