Aug10
Amnesty International condemns sentencing of Iranian Baha’i leaders
On August 10, Amnesty International issued a statement condemning the reported sentencing of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders each to 20 years in prison. News of their sentences followed six brief court appearances, which began on January 12, 2010, after they had been incarcerated without charges for 20 months. The trial ended on June 14.
Statement from Amnesty International:
Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing of seven members of Iran’s Baha’i religious minority to 20 years in jail on a series of politically motivated charges.
The five men and two women, leaders of the Baha’i community in Iran who were arrested over two years ago, were convicted on Saturday 7 August of crimes including “espionage for Israel”, “insulting religious sanctities” and “propaganda against the system” by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm have denied all the charges against them and lawyers for the seven have indicated that they will appeal.
“This verdict is a sad and damning manifestation of the deeply-rooted discrimination against Baha’is by the Iranian authorities,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa deputy director.
“These seven Baha’i leaders, some of whom are elderly, are prisoners of conscience jailed solely on account of their beliefs or peaceful activities on behalf of the persecuted Baha’i minority.”
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