Iranian authorities sentence 10 Baha'i women to prison

According to Iranian media, the authorities sentenced each of the following women—Yeganeh Agahi, wanda Badkhash, Parastu Hakim, Negin Khademi, Yeganeh Rouh-Bakhsh, Arzu Sobhaniyan, Mojgan Shahr Da, and Shana Shoghi Far—to 10 years in prison and a fine of 100 million tomans each. Additionally, Vanda Emadi and Bahareh Lotfi were sentenced to 5 years in prison and a fine of 50 million tomans each.

The sentences were issued on charges of "educational activities and promoting opposition to Islamic law."

The 10 Baha'i women were arrested by Iranian security forces on October 23, 2023, and released on bail after about two months in Dolatabad prison in Isfahan.

The Baha'is are the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran and have faced systematic persecution since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. In recent months, the Iranian authorities have intensified their pressure on the Baha'i community.

On September 24, the "Baha'i International Community,"  issued a statement noting Iranian President Massoud Bezhkian’s promises to respect the rights of all ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, but reaffirmed that Baha'is continue to face persecution in the country.

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