Iranian Court Sentences Baha'i Woman to 16 Years in Prison

A Revolutionary Court in Iran has sentenced Anisa Fanaian, a member of the persecuted Baha'i religious minority, to a total of 16 years in prison.

Fanaian has been sentenced to ten years in prison for orchestrating a group "to undermine the country's security" and an additional five years for engaging in "educational and propaganda activities."

She faces another year of imprisonment for "propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic" and a 15-year deprivation of social rights. 

In addition to these penalties, she has been barred from participating in any political or social parties or groups for two years.

Moreover, authorities have seized $4,350 worth of personal property belonging to her family members which was discovered during a search of Fanaian's daughter's room.

The government 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.