Two Iranian Baha’is have been sentenced to three years in jail by the Islamic Republic judiciary in Shiraz.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports that the two Baha’i citizens were arrested last July in Shiraz and, after 11 months in Adelabad Prison, were finally charged with “propaganda against the regime” and “membership in Baha’i organizations.”
Rahman Vafayi and Hamid Eslami have each been handed three years in prison.
HRANA adds that 59-year-old Vafayi suffers from heart complications and his family fears the effects of imprisonment on his health.
The Islamic Republic does not recognize Baha-ism as a legitimate religion, and most Baha’is face severe discrimination and persecution in Iran, which is the birthplace of the Baha’i faith.
