Tag: Foad Shaker Arkani

Baha’is in Kerman: Paridokht Shojaei Summoned to Serve Prison Sentence, Four Others Acquitted

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News, Religious Minorities
Behnam Pour-Ahmari, Foad Shaker Arkani, Kerman prison, Paridokht Shojaei, Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah

Paridokht Shojaei Baghini, a Baha’i citizen from Kerman, has been summoned to the Kerman Prison Enforcement Branch to serve her two-year and one-month prison sentence. Meanwhile, four other Baha’i citizens—Foad Shaker Arkani, Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah, and Behnam Pour-Ahmari—who were tried alongside her, have been acquitted by the Court of Appeals.

According to information received by HRANA, Ms. Shojaei was contacted via phone and instructed to report to the prison authorities to begin serving her sentence. A Baha’i resident of Kerman, familiar with the case, confirmed the news, stating: “Yekta Fallah, Foad Shaker Arkani, Behnam Pour-Ahmari, and Shahram Fallah were acquitted during the appeals process. Only Ms. Shojaei was sentenced to imprisonment and social restrictions, and she has been repeatedly summoned in recent days to begin serving her time.”

The five Baha’i citizens were initially arrested in July 2023 at the residence of Shahram Fallah. During the arrest, security officers searched Mr. Fallah’s home and the vehicles of his guests, confiscating personal items, including their mobile phones. Foad Shaker Arkani and Behnam Pour-Ahmari were released later that month, while Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah, and Paridokht Shojaei were released on bail in early August.

The first court hearing in their case took place on February 3, 2024, followed by a second hearing in early April 2024, where the defendants were sentenced to fines and social restrictions. However, in an unclear legal process, the court’s ruling against Ms. Shojaei was overturned, and she was subsequently informed in absentia of her revised sentence: two years and one month in prison, along with a five-year ban on social rights. This sentence was later upheld by the Court of Appeals after she filed an appeal.

Five Baha’i Citizens in Kerman Face Social Deprivations and Fines Following Court Ruling

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News, Religious Minorities
Behnam Pour-Ahmadi, Foad Shaker Arkani, Paridokht Shojaei, Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah

The Revolutionary Court in Kerman has issued sentences involving social deprivations and fines against five Baha’i individuals: Yekta Fallah, Foad Shaker Arkani, Behnam Pour-Ahmadi, Shahram Fallah, and Paridokht Shojaei Baghini.

A source close to one of the affected families confirmed the court’s decision, stating: “Foad Shaker Arkani, Behnam Pour-Ahmadi, Shahram Fallah, and Paridokht Shojaei were cleared of charges related to ‘propaganda against the regime.’ However, they received sentences of suspended social deprivations for five years. Yekta Fallah was specifically sentenced to one year of social deprivation and fined 50 million tomans as an alternative to a prison term of two years and one month.

These individuals were initially detained in July 2023 during a raid at Shahram Fallah’s home. Security forces searched the premises and their vehicles, confiscating various personal items. The detainees were subsequently released on bail within two months.

Baha’is are subjected to violations of their religious rights, comprising 82% of reports on infringements against religious minorities, according to HRA’s 2023 annual report.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.