Sina Shahri, a Bahai citizen, summoned to Tabriz Prosecutor's Office to serve prison sentence

Sina Shahri, a Bahai citizen residing in Tabriz, has been summoned to the Tabriz Prosecutor's Office in East Azerbaijan Province to serve his prison sentence. A source close to Shahri's family reported on Sunday, September 24, that judicial authorities have asked him to appear at the 'Enforcement Unit of Tabriz Prosecutor's Office' 'no later than the end of this week' to serve his sentence. Shahri was arrested by Tabriz Intelligence agents on January 16, 2022, and after searching his home, 'some of his personal belongings' were confiscated. This political prisoner was released on bail on February 2, 2023. The primary court sentenced Shahri to 'eight months' in prison for 'propaganda against the regime,' and the East Azerbaijan Appeals Court confirmed this sentence 'verbatim.' Baha'is are among the citizens whose rights have been continuously violated by the Islamic Republic, including property confiscation, deprivation of education, and even the destruction of the graves of the deceased, as well as imprisonment. Shahin Milani, a human rights researcher, told Voice of America that the accusations of the Islamic Republic against Baha'i citizens have always been 'baseless.' According to the annual report on 'International Religious Freedom' for 2022 prepared by the U.S. Department of State's Office of International Religious Freedom, the repression, violence, discrimination, and social stigmatization of the Baha'i community in Iran have intensified. Farhad Sabetan, spokesperson for the worldwide Baha'i community, confirmed the increased repression of Baha'is in Iran in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America. According to the Open Data Iran database, 'at least 225 Baha'is have been killed directly or indirectly by the Islamic Republic since its establishment.'