Baha’i women residing in Isfahan have been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan to a total of 90 years in prison, along with fines and additional penalties, for their educational and promotional activities.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, Negar Khademi, Yeganeh Agahi, Yeganeh Rouhbaksh, Neda Badakhsh, Mozhgan Shahrezai, Shana Shoghifar, Arezou Sobhaniyan, Parastoo Hakim, Bahareh Lotfi, and Neda Emadi, all Baha’i citizens of Isfahan, were sentenced to a combined total of 90 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan for holding educational and promotional classes.
The verdict, issued by the first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan, presided over by Judge Tavakoli, was delivered to the citizens. They were convicted of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic” and “participation in deviant educational and promotional activities contrary to religious law,” resulting in heavy prison sentences, fines, and the confiscation of their belongings.
Yeganeh Agahi, Yeganeh Rouhbaksh, and Negar Khademi were each sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 100 million tomans, with one-third of their sentences suspended. Neda Badakhsh, Mozhgan Shahrezai, Shana Shoghifar, Parastoo Hakim, and Arezou Sobhaniyan were also sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 100 million tomans, with half of their sentences suspended.
Neda Emadi and Bahareh Lotfi were each sentenced to 5 years in prison and fined 50 million tomans, with 4 years of imprisonment and half of their fines suspended.
Additionally, these 10 citizens were ordered to forfeit their belongings, including phones, laptops, digital devices, foreign currencies, and gold. They were also banned from leaving the country and using social media for two years.
These Baha’i citizens were arrested on October 23, 2023, and were released on bail from Dolatabad Prison in Isfahan after two months. Their trial was held on September 23, 2024, in the first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan.
Yeganeh Agahi had previously been arrested, and Yeganeh Rouhbaksh, another defendant in this case, is the daughter of Arezou Sobhaniyan.