Transfer of Two Baha'i Citizens to Lakan Prison in Rasht to Serve Sentences

Sources from Voice of America reported the transfer of Nazila Khani-Pour and Vasal Haravi, two members of a Baha'i family sentenced to several years in prison, to Lakan Prison in Rasht for the execution of their sentences. According to a report received by the Persian section of Voice of America on Thursday, February 21, Nazila Khani-Pour, who was sentenced to two years in prison, and her son Vasal Haravi, who faces a sentence of over four years, were transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht following the implementation of these sentences. Nazila Khani-Pour and her son Vasal Haravi were arrested on May 28, 2024, by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and were temporarily released after 27 days in solitary confinement upon posting bail. The Third Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht, presided over by Mehdi Rasakhi, sentenced Vasal Haravi to four years, one month, and 16 days of imprisonment and ten years of deprivation of social rights on charges of 'propaganda against the regime, educational and promotional activities contrary to and disruptive of Islamic law.' The court also sentenced Nazila Khani-Pour to two years and one day of imprisonment, an 80 million toman fine, and five years of deprivation of social rights on the charge of 'educational and promotional activities contrary to and disruptive of Islamic law.' According to the court's ruling, 'the presence of religious books related to the Baha'i faith in the phone and home' was considered 'evidence of the crime and a manifestation of promotional activity' against Vasal Haravi, and it was also stated in the court ruling that because 'his job is selling toys,' this accusation 'indicates that the accused has plans for educating and promoting among Muslim children in the future.' In the ruling issued for Ms. Khani-Pour, 'the publication of images of Baha'i temples on her private Instagram account and her book on the history of the Baha'i faith in Gilan' from the 1970s was counted as 'evidence of the crime.' The execution of the prison sentence for these two Baha'i citizens occurred after the confirmation of these sentences in the 11th Branch of the Appeals Court, presided over by Mohammad Sadegh Iran-Iqideh, and 'after repeated calls from the Fifth Branch of the Execution of Sentences in Rasht and threats against the bail guarantor for the confiscation of the bail' on February 21. Concurrently with the arrest of these two Baha'i citizens in May of this year, officials of the Islamic Republic destroyed rice paddies belonging to 80 Baha'i families in northern Iran. An action that the Baha'i community worldwide described as 'oppressive' and a case of 'economic apartheid' aimed at 'religious cleansing' to drive Baha'is from their lands. Baha'is have faced extensive deprivation since the 1979 revolution, including expulsion from government jobs, confiscation of property, closure of businesses, denial of education, and destruction of cemeteries. According to the annual report of the 'International Religious Freedom Commission' last year, repression, violence, discrimination, and social stigmatization by the government against Baha'i citizens have intensified. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has also expressed concern over the increasing pressure on religious minorities in Iran and the Islamic Republic's campaign to arrest Baha'is. The Baha'i community worldwide reported on November 12 with a report titled 'Outsiders: Multifaceted Violence Against Baha'is in the Islamic Republic of Iran' that Shia clerics in Iran have, since the formation of the Baha'i faith, been attempting to 'justify their discrimination and oppression' by labeling Baha'is as 'impure,' and thus Baha'is in Iran have faced repression throughout history. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel 'Charter of Freedom, Welfare, Equality' condemned 'persecution, deprivation of the most basic rights, repression, and arrest of Baha'is' on Thursday, February 21. The statement from this Telegram channel noted that nearly 300,000 Baha'is live in Iran, who are deprived not only of citizenship rights but also of the most basic human rights due to their religious beliefs. The Telegram channel 'Charter of Freedom, Welfare, Equality' added: 'The authoritarian and freedom-hating regime of the Islamic Republic has discriminated against all religious minorities residing in Iran since coming to power. However, discrimination and deprivation against Baha'is have been the most severe and repressive.' The statement mentioned that 'in addition to the repressive actions of the government, the indifference and implicit complicity of some segments of the population with this regressive policy of the Islamic Republic have intensified the oppression faced by Baha'is.' This Telegram channel emphasized that 'any form of discrimination and persecution of belief, exclusion and repression, and generally the application of deprivation against all religious minorities, especially Baha'is,' should be condemned, asserting that 'the way to fight and confront this authoritarian and regressive policy of the Islamic Republic is to support the freedom-seeking movement of the people, especially the working class, from this minority.'