Sirus Zabihi Moghadam, a 64-year-old member of Baha’i religious minority, reported to Vakilabad Prison on Monday to begin serving a seven-year sentence on national security charges.
The Mashhad Revolutionary Court convicted Moghadam of “establishing and participating in opposition groups under the pretext of forming and organizing Baha’i institutions with the intent to disrupt national security.”
He received a seven-year sentence for this charge and an additional year for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”
Under Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, he will serve the longer of the two sentences.
The case faced several legal challenges before reaching its conclusion. While the Supreme Court initially overturned the verdict and ordered a review, the 37th Branch of the Khorasan Razavi Appeals Court upheld the original sentence.
Authorities first arrested Moghadam at his Mashhad home on September 24, 2022, during nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. He was released on bail after 73 days in detention.
This imprisonment adds to Moghadam’s history of confrontations with Iranian authorities. Since the 1980s, he has faced multiple arrests and already served more than six years in prison, according to sources familiar with his case.
The government has intensified its crackdown on members of the Baha’i faith, imprisoning dozens on spurious charges over the past two years, denying them access to higher education and livelihoods, and confiscating or destroying their personal properties.
Source » iranwire