Source: www.hra-news.org
Translation by Iran Press Watch
HRANA News Agency – Soroush Abadi and Kiana Shoaei, Baha’i citizens living in Shiraz, have each been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court to 3-years-and-3-months in prison, and a 2-year ban from leaving the country. If this sentence is upheld in the appeal stage by applying Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment, i.e., 31 months and 16 days in prison, will be applicable to Mr. Abadi. Ms. Shoaei’s sentence has been suspended for 5 months for 5 months.
According to this verdict, which was issued to Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz, headed by Judge Mahmoud Sadati, on September 12, 2021, Soroush Abadi and Kiana Shoa’i were each charged with “membership in anti-regime groups with the intent to disrupt security.” Each received a sentence of 31 months and 16 days of imprisonment, a 2-year ban from leaving the country, with an additional 7 months and 16 days of imprisonment for “propaganda activities against the regime in cyberspace.”
If their sentences are upheld at the appeal stage, Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe sentence (31 months and 16 days) will be applicable to Mr. Abadi. In Ms. Shoaei’s case, 30 months of her sentence have been suspended for 5 years, during which time she must report to the Shiraz Intelligence Office on a monthly basis.
Kiana Shoaei and Soroush Abadi, along with Farzan Masoumi, were arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents on October 20, 2019. Ms. Shoaei and Mr. Abadi were released on bail on November 7, 2019 and released from the Shiraz Intelligence Detention Center until the end of the trial. Officers had raided the home and seized a number of personal belongings, including computers, laptops and cell phones at the time of their arrests. Ms. Shoaei’s trial was held in this court on May 16th.
In this same case, Mr. Farzan Masoumi had previously been sentenced by this branch to 6 years in prison, but in July of last year, his sentence was reduced to 2 years in prison on appeal.
Soroush Abadi was arrested by intelligence agents on April 6, along with six other Baha’i citizens, and was temporarily released from Adelabad Prison in Shiraz on May 7, 2021, on 800 million Toman bail pending trial.
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