Baha'is In Northern Iran Imprisoned For Opening Daycare Center
Three Baha'i citizens in northern Iran, have collectively been sentenced to 33 months of imprisonment for establishing and operating a daycare center.
Three Baha'i citizens in northern Iran, have collectively been sentenced to 33 months of imprisonment for establishing and operating a daycare center.
According to the judgment issued on Saturday, Soha Sabeti received a sentence of 33 months of punitive imprisonment, a 13-year prohibition from engaging in any educational activities, and a cash penalty of approximately $750.
Similarly, Behrouz Rahmani and Sanaz Alizadeh Roshankouhi were each handed a 10-year ban on educational activities, accompanied by a cash penalty of around $500.
The charges include "managing and membership in groups, societies… within the country with the aim of undermining national security, promoting the interests of groups or organizations opposing the Islamic Republic system, engaging in educational activities, and promoting the Baha'i Faith."
The revolutionary court judge claimed the group were involved in educational activities and the implicit promotion of the Baha'i Faith, incorporating its principles and beliefs, especially aimed at children, forbidden under the Islamic Republic which only permits the practice of Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Islam.
Recent weeks have witnessed a surge in pressure from security and judicial institutions targeting the roughly 300,000 strong Baha'i community.
Baha'is constitute the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority and have faced systematic persecution and harassment since the revolution of 1979 and the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
Informed sources disclosed to Iran International that the delegation's primary objective was to acquire knowledge on the operation and utilization of the drones, which have been seen to be used in the likes of Russia's war on Ukraine and by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Russia has used hundreds of Iranian kamikaze drones against infrastructure and civilian targets in Ukraine.
The move comes in the wake of the US Defense Department's revelation that it had detected an Iranian drone flying over Sudan. Iran International has now learned that this particular drone is part of a broader initiative by the IRGC to sell unmanned aerial vehicles to Sudan, aiming to enhance its influence in the region.
Sudan has been garnering attention for its use of Chinese and Iranian-made drones, which are proving to be potent assets in the country's ongoing conflicts. The deployment of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is seen as having the potential to significantly impact the dynamics of the long-standing hostilities between government forces and various rebel groups.
For years, Iran has been a key supplier of drones to Sudan, with the country steadily building up its capabilities from reconnaissance to attack. Among the Iranian-made drones deployed by Sudan is Ababil-3, a small and lightweight UAV capable of carrying a 45-kilogram warhead.
Additionally, Sudan operates drones from the Mohajer series, including the Mohajer-2, Mohajer-4, and the latest Mohajer-6, showcasing the country's commitment to advancing its drone capabilities.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has faced accusations of contributing to regional destabilization by supporting proxy groups in the Middle East and beyond. Critics argue that the IRGC's involvement in various conflicts raises concerns among international stakeholders about Iran's influence and its potential impact on regional stability.
Under the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords, normalizing relations with Arab states and Israel, Sudan quietly agreed to sign up, with the promise of being removed from the US terror list, but as yet, it has still not formalized ties with the Jewish state, the archenemy of Iran.
Sudan, still a conduit for weapons being passed from Iran to its proxies including Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, is yet to sign a formal deal, and fears are that the lure of Iran amidst Sudan's civil war, may be enough to sidetrack it from its US-brokered entry into 'the new Middle East'.
