Baha'i Citizen Payam Vali Receives Additional One-Year Sentence

Payam Vali, a Baha'i citizen currently serving a six-year sentence in Ghezelhesar prison, has been handed an additional one-year prison term by the Iranian judiciary in a new case.

A Revolutionary Court in Karaj convicted Vali on charges of "propaganda against the government."

The court's ruling also includes a two-year ban on leaving the country and using social media platforms.

The latest sentence stems from an open letter Vali wrote to Iranian judiciary officials, protesting his legal situation.

Vali's legal troubles began in March 2022 when he was initially sentenced to 16 years in prison by the First Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Alborz Province.

The charges included "collaborating with hostile nations," "inciting public unrest," and "propaganda against the government."

An appeal reduced this sentence to 9 years and 9 months, which was further decreased to six years.

He was arrested on October 1, 2022, at his home in Karaj and subsequently transferred to Ghezelhesar Prison.

Throughout his detention, Vali has endured pressure and threats aimed at coercing him into falsely confessing against himself. But he has continued to deny all charges against him.