Baha’i Mother and Sons Sentenced to Jail in Iran

A revolutionary court in the Iranian city of Bojnurd has sentenced a Baha'i family to a combined total of four years and eight months in prison, a human rights website reported. 

Shayan Senaei has been sentenced to a two-year and two-month prison term, along with a 50 million tomans ($1,000) fine. His brother, Faran Senaei, received a two-year and six-month prison sentence, while their mother, Sholeh Shahidi, has also been fined 50 million tomans, as reported by HRANA.

The court also mandated a 10-year ban from using specific social public services and the confiscation of personal assets owned by the individuals.

Charges against the three included "engaging in educational activities and propaganda against Islamic Sharia law.” Activities such as posting to social media were given as evidence for the charges.

The Baha’i citizens were detained at their home in Bojnurd by security forces on July 13, 2022, and subsequently released on bail on August 4, 2022.

The Islamic Republic has intensified its crackdown on members of the Baha'i faith, imprisoning dozens of them on spurious charges over the past year, denying them access to higher education and livelihoods, and confiscating or destroying their personal properties.