Prison Sentence Upheld for Baha’i Shahriar Atrian on Appeal

Source: www.hra-news.org

Translation by Iran Press Watch

HRANA ‒ The Fars Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of Shahriar Atrian, a Baha’i citizen living in Shiraz, without holding a court hearing. Mr. Atrian was previously sentenced by the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court to six years in prison. Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, a maximum punishment of 5 years of imprisonment applies to this case.

According to HRANA, the news agency of the Iranian Association of Human Rights Activists, the Fars Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of Shahriar Atrian, a Baha’i resident of Shiraz.

The trial of this Baha’i citizen was held on Thursday, June 18, 2020, in absentia, without the knowledge of Mr. Atrian or his lawyer. At this hearing, the court upheld the sentence of the lower court to six years of imprisonment for Mr. Atrian. Shahriar Atrian was previously sentenced to six years in prison by the First Branch of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Seyyed Mahmoud Sadati, on charges of “propaganda activities against the regime” and “membership in anti-regime groups.”

Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment for “membership in anti-regime groups” can be imposed on Mr. Atrian.

Previously detained by security forces in 2019, along with a number of other Baha’i citizens living in Shiraz, Mr. Atrian was later released on bail pending trial.

Baha’is in Iran are deprived of the freedom to practice their religious beliefs. This systematic deprivation of liberty occurs even though Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights entitle any individual to freedom of religion and belief as well as freedom to express it individually or collectively, in public or in private.

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 for many years.