Iranwire – Authorities in the Islamic Republic have returned an 80-year-old Baha’i citizen to prison after a six-month suspension.
Ataollah Zafar was returned to Evin Prison on Wednesday following the temporary halt in his imprisonment.
Zafar was arrested on May 1, 2022, by security forces and transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention.
In July 2023, Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced Zafar to five years in prison for “membership in illegal groups aimed at disrupting national security,” according to HRANA human rights news agency.
The sentence was later reduced to two years by the Tehran Court of Appeals.
Baha’is in Iran continue to face systematic persecution, with arrests, detentions, and legal pressures being part of a broader campaign against the community.
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 opposing the Iranian government. The Baha’i International Community states that 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.