Source: www.hra-news.org
Translation by Iran Press Watch
HRANA News Agency – Two Baha’i citizens residing in Kerman, Kiana Rezvani and Kimia Mostafavi, were each sentenced to six years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of that city. If Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code is applied, the maximum sentences of these citizens will be enforceable, which is five years. These two Baha’is were arrested by security agents in January 2019 and were released on bail after five days, until the last stage of their trials.
According to the court order, Kiana Rezvani and Kimia Mostafavi were each sentenced to five years in prison for “membership in the Baha’i administration” and one year for “propaganda against the Regime in favor of anti-government groups”. If Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code is applied, the maximum punishment of five years for the charge of “membership in Baha’i administration” will be enforceable against each of these citizens.
These two Baha’is were arrested by security agents on 19 January 2019 and were released on bail on 24 January 2019 until the last stage of their trials.
Prior to this, after participating in the national university entrance examinations in 2016, Kiana Rezvani had received a message of “incomplete file” on the website of the Educational Measurement and Evaluation Organization, and had been denied continuing education for being a Baha’i.
Baha’is in Iran are deprived of freedoms related to their religious beliefs. This systematic deprivation occurs even though, according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), “All persons have the right to religious freedom, the right to change their religion or beliefs, and the freedom to express their beliefs individually or collectively, in public or private.”
According to unofficial sources in Iran there are more than 300,000 Baha’is living in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only the religions of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, and does not recognize the Baha’i religion. For this reason, over the past number of years Baha’is’ rights have been systematically violated in Iran.
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