The Baha’i Seven
The Baha'i Seven are former Baha'i leaders in Iran who have been deprived of the rights accorded to prisoners under Iran's own laws and regulations. Prior to their arrests in 2008, the seven were members of an ad hoc national-level group that attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran's Baha'i community. In September 2010 they were told that their sentences had been reduced to 10 years after an appeal court acquitted them of some of the charges, including espionage, but they have never been given a written copy of either of the court verdicts. It was first reported on 18 March, 2011 that the 20-year sentence had been reinstated.
Updates:
- The U.S. Department of State issued a statement condemning the continued imprisonment of the Bahai Seven as well as reported abuses against them while incarcerated. The State Department called upon Iran to immediately release them, along with all prisoners of conscinece in Iran (May 14, 2017, U.S. Department of State).
- The free speech advocacy group PEN International has given its annual Writer of Courage award to the Iranian poet Mahvash Sabet (October 11, 2017, BBC World Service).
- In "Writing to survive: Baha'i woman's poetry was her best friend in Iranian jail," CNN's Moni Basu discusses how Mahvash Sabet found hope and solace in her poetry while imprisoned (November 27, 2017, CNN).
- In "Lyrical Flights," Keyvandokht Ghahari interviews Mahvash Sabet about Sabet's experiences during her nearly ten years in prison (December 28, 2017, Qantara.de).
- As reported by the "No to the Persecution and Imprisonment of Baha'i Citizens Campaign," Afif Naeimi was returned to Rajai-Shahr prison at the end of his furlough. He is serving his tenth year of a ten-year sentence. (April 23, 2018, Iran Press Watch)
- In an interview with the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, Shohreh Khalokhi, wife of Afif Naeimi, shared concerns regarding the health and well-being of her husband. Mrs. Khalokhi explained that while Mr. Naeimi‘s sentence had been paused by the judiciary medical committee to allow for sick leave, he was returned to prison once the sick leave ended, despite his condition having worsened. (May 17, 2018, Iran Press Watch)