Source: www.en-hrana.org
The Court of Appeals of Kerman Province has upheld the two-year and one-month prison sentence for Paridokht Shojaei Bagheini, a Baha’i citizen from Kerman.
The ruling, issued by Branch 7 of the Kerman Court of Appeals on September 9, confirms her sentence of two years and one month for “engaging in educational/promotional activities contrary to or disruptive of Islamic Sharia.” The verdict was delivered to Ms. Shojaei recently.
A source close to the Shojaei family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating that the Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s decision without holding a hearing. The family plans to pursue the case in the Supreme Court.
Shojaei Bagheini was arrested in July last year at the home of another Baha’i citizen in Kerman and was released on bail in early August. Her trial, along with the cases of four other Baha’i citizens, was held in Branch 1 of the Kerman Revolutionary Court.
Baha’is are subjected to violations of their religious rights, comprising 82% of reports on infringements against religious minorities, according to HRA’s 2023 annual report.
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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