Golnoosh Nasiri and Farideh Moradi, both Baha’i citizens, have been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court.
Judge Hadi Mansouri issued this verdict on October 26, which allocates three years for “membership in a group with intentions against national security” and eight months for “spreading propaganda against the regime.”
According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, if the decision stands after appeal, they will serve a three-year prison term for the first charge.
Nasiri and Moradi were granted release on bail totaling 5 billion tomans (approximately 100,000 dollars) in late August of this year.
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.