Baha’i woman Shideh Tavakoli sentenced to 11 years in prison

Hengaw – Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Shideh Tavakoli, a Baha'i woman from Tehran, has been sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court to 11 years in prison, a substantial fine, permanent disqualification from public employment, and the confiscation of her personal property and assets, as pressure on members of the Baha'i faith in Iran continues to intensify.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the verdict was issued and formally communicated by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati.

Under the ruling, Tavakoli was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine of 3.3 billion rials (330 million tomans), and permanent disqualification from public and government employment on charges of "membership in groups opposed to the state" and "propaganda activities contrary to Sharia." She was also sentenced to an additional one year in prison on the charge of "propaganda against the state."

Under Article 134 of Iran's Islamic Penal Code, which governs the aggregation of multiple sentences, only the most severe sentence—10 years' imprisonment—will be enforceable if the verdict becomes final.

The court also ordered the confiscation of Tavakoli's personal property and assets in favor of the state.

Government forces raided Tavakoli's home in Tehran on May 27, 2025, arrested her, and confiscated her personal belongings. After undergoing intensive interrogations at a security detention facility, she was released temporarily on a heavy bail pending further judicial proceedings.