Source: HRANA
Translation by Iran Press Watch
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Maryam Zabihi has been sentenced to prison.
Based on a verdict issued by Branch 104 of the Criminal Court Two of Qaem Shahr, this Bahá’í citizen has been sentenced to 10 months in prison on the charge of “educational activities contrary to and disturbing to the sacred religion of Islam.” The hearing for Ms. Zabihi’s charges was held on April 16 of this year, and the verdict was issued on the same day.
Holding exam sessions for students of the unofficial Bahá’í university of Iran at her private residence was cited as the grounds for the charges against Ms. Zabihi.
On Monday, February 12, 2024, Maryam Zabihi’s home was searched by security forces. The officers confiscated all electronic devices, textbooks, laptops, and tablets belonging to five young Bahá’ís who were guests at her residence.
After Bahá’ís in Iran were barred from attending public universities due to their religious beliefs, the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) was established in 1987 by the Bahá’í community of Iran. This unofficial university, with the cooperation of volunteer professors and under very limited conditions, provides higher education opportunities to Bahá’í citizens. Over the years, many of the professors and administrators involved in this educational system have faced judicial and security-related pressures.
According to the annual survey by the Statistics, Publishing, and Research Center of Human Rights Activists in Iran, during the period from January 1, 2024, to December 20, 2024, a total of 157 reports were recorded in the category of religious and faith-based minority rights. Baha’is accounted for 67.54% of these reports, making them the most frequent subjects of monitoring by human rights reporters.
The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.
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