In an era where freedom of belief and peaceful coexistence are global ideals, reports from Iran reveal a troubling reality for religious minorities. Recently, 10 Bahá’í women in Isfahan were sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to a combined total of 90 years in prison and fines amounting to 900 million tomans. The women—Yeganeh Agahi, Neda Badakhsh, Parastoo Hakim, Negin Khademi, Yeganeh Rouhbaksh, Arezoo Sobhanian, Mojgan Shahrazai, Shana Shoghi-Far, Neda Emadi, and Bahareh Lotfi—were convicted for engaging in community-based activities such as organizing art, sports, and educational workshops for children and youth, including those of Afghan descent. These efforts, celebrated in many parts of the world as nurturing and essential, were deemed criminal acts under the charge of “educational activities and propaganda against sacred Islamic law.”
The sentencing included not only imprisonment and heavy fines but also confiscation of personal property and severe restrictions on social media use and travel. Despite a robust defense by the women and their lawyers, who maintained that their activities were lawful and focused on community support—such as music lessons, yoga, and nature outings—the Revolutionary Court ruled these efforts as serious offenses and delivered the sentences in secret.
This case has reignited attention on the longstanding challenges faced by religious minorities in Iran, particularly the Bahá’ís, who represent the largest non-Muslim religious community in the country. For decades, Bahá’ís have endured systemic discrimination, facing barriers in social, economic, and legal spheres and being stripped of many civil rights.
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