Tehran Court of Appeals Upholds Conviction of Baha’i Citizens Abbas Taif and Ataullah Zafar

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Source: www.hra-news.org

Translation by Iran Press Watch

HRANA News Agency – Branch 26 of the Tehran Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of Abbas Taif and Ataullah Zafar, Baha’i citizens. These citizens had previously been sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court to a one-year prison term.

The verdict, issued on 6 July 2021 by Branch 26 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Seyed Ahmad Zargar and Counselor Abbas Ali Hozan, upheld the original sentence handed down by the Tehran Revolutionary Court. These citizens were each charged with and convicted on “acting against national security through the administration and active activity in the organization of the Baha’i sect”.

Abbas Taif and Ataullah Zafar were arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents on 27 September 2019.  At the time of the arrest, officers searched the house, confiscated some of their personal belongings and took them with them. Abbas Taif was released from Evin Prison on 25 November 2019, and Ataullah Zafar in October of the same year, on bail, until the end of the trial.

According to unofficial sources, there are more than 300,000 Baha’is in Iran, but Iran’s constitution only recognizes Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism and does not recognize the Baha’i faith. For this reason, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated over past years.

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