Iranian Bahai writer faces return to prison after open-heart surgery

Shafaq News/ An Iranian Bahai writer and poet, who recently underwent open-heart surgery, faces the risk of being returned to prison to serve the remainder of her sentence, a French organization representing the religious minority said.

In a statement sent to Agence France-Presse, the Bahais de France organization confirmed that Mahvash Sabet, 71, "recently underwent open-heart surgery and is set to be returned to prison very soon."

The organization called for her "immediate and unconditional release" and demanded that Iranian authorities guarantee she will not be returned to prison.

Sabet was sentenced to 10 years in prison in December 2022, along with another prominent Bahai figure, Fariba Kamalabadi. Both women previously served similar sentences before their release in 2018.

The statement from the Bahais de France alleged that Sabet was "repeatedly denied proper medical care during her imprisonment, despite her serious and worsening health conditions."

Chirinne Ardakani, a lawyer for Sabet’s family and nd the foundation of jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, said in the statement, "Mahvash Sabet, who has been arbitrarily convicted and detained, does not belong in prison."

Ardakani argued that "Iran not only violates their fundamental rights but also employs a strategy of attrition and slow death by allowing their health to deteriorate."

According to the United Nations, at least 70 Bahais are currently detained or serving prison sentences in Iran, while 1,200 others face legal proceedings or have been convicted.

Human Rights Watch stated in April that the persecution of Bahais in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution amounts to "a crime against humanity."

Unlike other religious minorities, Bahais in Iran lack parliamentary representation, and their exact population within the country is unknown, though estimates suggest it may reach several hundred thousand.