Source: www.en-hrana.org
Keyvan Rahimian, a Baha’i citizen and lecturer at an online university affiliated with the Baha’i community, has been sentenced to nine years in prison, accompanied by a fine and a six-year deprivation of social rights.
The verdict, issued by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, outlines a five-year sentence for “educational activities and propagating against Sharia Islam” and a four-year sentence for “assembly and collusion against national security.” Alongside the prison term, Rahimian has been prohibited from exercising social rights and ordered to pay a fine.
Should the verdict be upheld on appeal, Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code stipulates that five years of the prison term will be enforced, as it imposes the maximum prison term for one charge from multiple charges.
Rahimian was apprehended by security forces in Tehran on July 18, 2023, and subsequently detained in Evin prison. His detention has been extended for four consecutive months, with Rahimian granted leave from November 25 to 29, 2023, to attend his mother’s funeral.
This is not the first time Rahimian has faced legal repercussions for his activism. In August 2017, he was released from Rajai Shahr Prison after completing a five-year sentence. The current sentence raises concerns about the ongoing suppression of Baha’i individuals engaged in educational and community activities.
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