The Bahá'í Community of France Calls for the Immediate Release of Mahvash Sabat

On Thursday, January 3, the Bahá'í Community of France issued a statement announcing that Mahvash Sabat, a Bahá'í teacher, poet, and writer, is to be returned to prison after undergoing open-heart surgery. According to AFP, the statement called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mahvash Sabat, the annulment of her prison sentence, and assurances from the Iranian authorities that she will never be returned to prison. Ms. Sabat, who is 71 years old, 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 on the charge of 'forming and managing a group or gathering with the intent to disrupt national security.' This sentence was also upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals. Previously, in 2017, she was arrested along with Fariba Kamalabadi, another well-known Bahá'í who was also arrested again in 2022 and later released. The International Pen Association and the Sydney Pen Association condemned the conviction of Mahvash Sabat and called for her release. The Bahá'í Community of France states that Mahvash Sabat has been denied adequate medical treatment multiple times during her imprisonment. Shirin Ardakani, a lawyer, emphasized in an interview with AFP that the prison sentence against Mahvash Sabat was issued arbitrarily and that she does not belong in prison. Ms. Ardakani added that the Islamic Republic of Iran, by failing to treat political prisoners like Mahvash Sabat appropriately and in a timely manner, not only violates their rights but also allows their health to decline through a strategy of slow death. Bahá'í citizens have systematically faced execution, widespread social and political discrimination, and illegal actions including arrest and desecration of their cemeteries since the February 1979 revolution in Iran. Unofficial sources in Iran indicate that over 300,000 Bahá'í citizens live in Iran, but the Islamic Republic's constitution does not recognize the Bahá'í faith. Repression and restrictions against Bahá'ís in Iran have intensified in recent years. The United Nations estimates that at least 70 Bahá'ís are detained or serving their sentences in Iran, while another 1,200 are under legal prosecution or have been previously convicted. Human Rights Watch described the actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Bahá'í minority as 'crimes against humanity' in a report this April. Human Rights Watch, based in New York, stated that the persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. Anisa Fanayan, a Bahá'í citizen in Semnan province, was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Mahvash Sabat, a 72-year-old Bahá'í prisoner, underwent heart surgery. There is no news about 4 Bahá'í citizens arrested in Shiraz. Two human rights and Bahá'í organizations criticized the Islamic Republic for its repression of Bahá'ís.