Baha'i Man Begins Prison Term in Iran

Behnam Momtazi, a member of the Baha’i religious minority, was taken into custody on Monday in Qazvin, Iran, to begin serving a two-year and one-day prison sentence.

Momtazi was arrested after reporting to the Sentence Enforcement Office and was transferred to Choubindar Prison.

He had previously been detained by security forces from July 31 to August 11, 2022, before being released on bail.

The Baha’i faith has faced systematic discrimination in Iran for decades, as the Islamic Republic does not recognize it.

Baha’is have been persecuted because of their faith and are often accused of being spies or opposing the Iranian government. However, the Baha’i International Community states that no evidence has ever been provided to support these claims.

Over the past two years, the Iranian government has intensified its crackdown on members of the Baha’i faith, imprisoning dozens on spurious charges, denying them access to higher education and livelihoods, and confiscating or destroying their properties.