Three Baha’i women in Rafsanjan sentenced to jail after acquittal overturned

Hengaw - Sunday, May 25, 2025

Three Baha’i women—Didar Ahmadi, Elna Naeimi, and Bushra Mostafavi—have each been sentenced to four months of discretionary imprisonment by the Kerman Province Court of Appeals, Branch 7, on charges of “propaganda in favor of groups and organizations opposed to the Islamic Republic.”

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the sentencing followed an appeal by the Rafsanjan public prosecutor after the women were initially acquitted of the same charges by Branch 3 of the Rafsanjan Criminal Court on February 12, 2025, due to lack of evidence. The appeal hearing was held on May 14, 2025.

The initial acquittal was appealed by the Rafsanjan public prosecutor, leading to the case being sent to the appellate court, which ultimately issued the prison sentences.

The women were originally arrested on June 7, 2020, when agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence raided their homes. They were later released on bail pending trial.