Source: www.hra-news.org
Translation by Iran Press Watch
HRANA News Agency – Mahvash Sabet (Shahriari), a former member of the Baha’i leadership council in Iran known as “Yaran-e-Iran” (Friends of Iran), who is serving her sentence in Evin Prison, has been deprived of specialized medical care despite her deteriorating health condition.
A source close to Ms. Sabet’s family confirmed this report to HRANA, stating: “This 72-year-old prisoner, who suffers from respiratory illness and breathing problems, has been denied specialized medical treatment and transfer to medical facilities outside the prison despite her poor physical condition.”
According to information obtained by HRANA, “Mahvash Sabet contracted COVID-19 during her arrest in August 2022 and did not receive sufficient medical treatment throughout her detention, which led to a relapse of her respiratory illness. Additionally, inhaling smoke from the Evin Prison fire exacerbated her breathing problems.”
Mahvash Sabet was sentenced in December 2022 by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to 10 years in prison, two years of being banned from leaving the country, prohibition from living in Tehran, a ban on participating in social groups, and the confiscation of some digital devices. This sentence was eventually upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals.
Mahvash Sabet (Shahriari), a former member of the Baha’i leadership in Iran, was arrested on Sunday, July 31, 2022, along with five other Baha’i citizens in various cities across the country by security forces. On the same day, the homes of at least 37 other Baha’i citizens were raided by security forces.
Following these actions, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement, and state television aired a video accusing the arrested Baha’is of espionage, infiltrating kindergartens, and promoting immorality. According to Simin Fahandej, spokesperson for the Baha’i International Community at the United Nations, “The reports released by the Islamic Republic’s media once again demonstrate that Baha’i citizens in Iran are systematically persecuted solely because of their religious beliefs.”
Baha’i citizens in Iran are deprived of religious freedoms. This systemic deprivation persists despite Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which grant everyone the right to freedom of religion, belief, and the freedom to practice and change their religion, both individually and collectively, in public or private.
According to unofficial sources, there are more than 300,000 Baha’i citizens in Iran, but Iran’s constitution only recognizes Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism as official religions, excluding the Baha’i faith. Consequently, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated over the years.
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