The Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Nazila Haqqar, a Baha'i woman, to five years in prison, IranWire reports. The sentence was handed down in absentia in May and was upheld on August 20.
Haqqar was convicted of being a member of an "unauthorized group with the intent to undermine the nation's security."
Security forces searched Haqqar's home in August of last year, confiscating her laptop, mobile phone, and documents.
Haqqar is the latest in a long line of Baha'is who have been persecuted in Iran.
The Iranian government has intensified its crackdown on Baha'is, arresting and imprisoning dozens of them on spurious charges over the past few weeks.
Shia Islam is the state religion in Iran. The constitution recognizes several minority faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, but not the Baha'i faith.
The Baha’i community is Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority and also counts millions of other adherents in almost every country of the world.
Interested in writing for IranWire?
Share your stories.
comments