A 24-year-old Iranian Baha'i citizen, Sepehr Jafari Naeimi, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Yazd for his social media posts about the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in police custody last year, and his advocacy for the Baha'i faith.
On September 22, Branch 1 of the Yazd Revolutionary Court issued a ruling that sentenced Naeimi to eight months in prison for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic" and sixteen months for "insulting the Supreme Leader and the founder of the Islamic Republic."
According to the HRANA human rights organization, the case against Naeimi began in early 2023 when he was summoned to the Tehran Prosecutor's Office for questioning regarding his social media content.
He was released after interrogation. In December 2023, he was summoned again to the Yazd prosecutor's office in connection with the same case and released on bail following further questioning.
The Iranian government does not recognize the Baha'i faith, and its followers have faced systematic discrimination in the country for decades.
Baha'is have been persecuted in Iran because of their faith and are often accused of being spies or opposed to the Iranian government. The Baha'i International Community states no evidence has been provided to support these charges.
The Iranian 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 properties.
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