Baha’i Citizen Sentenced to Prison in Mashhad

The Mashhad Revolutionary Court has sentenced Ghazaleh Rayat, a Baha’i citizen, to 22 months of discretionary imprisonment. The preliminary verdict is currently at the appeals stage.

Ghazaleh Rayat was arrested by security agents at her workplace on January 15. At the same time, her personal residence was searched, and a number of her personal belongings were confiscated by the agents.

Following approximately one month of temporary detention, this Baha’i citizen was released from Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison after posting bail.

In a statement dated May 22, the Baha’i International Community reported an escalation of harassment and pressure against Baha’i citizens in Iran since the outbreak of recent conflicts in mid-February of last year. The report highlights more than 400 cases of human rights violations, including arrests, raids on homes, confiscation of property, and other restrictions against Baha’is in various parts of the country. The issuance and implementation of judicial verdicts against followers of the Baha’i faith are assessed as part of a widespread campaign of systematic suppression and structural pressure against this community in Iran.