It’s an Islamic republic, and so even membership in a non-recognized religious group is a threat to the state. Clearly the Islamic Republic of Iran is extraordinarily insecure.
“Iran Returns 80-Year-Old Baha’i Man to Prison After Six-Month Suspension,” Iran Wire, October 3, 2024:
Authorities in the Islamic Republic have returned an 80-year-old Baha’i citizen to prison after a six-month suspension.
Ataollah Zafar was returned to Evin Prison on Wednesday following the temporary halt in his imprisonment.
Zafar was arrested on May 1, 2022, by security forces and transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention.
In July 2023, Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced Zafar to five years in prison for “membership in illegal groups aimed at disrupting national security,” according to HRANA human rights news agency.
The sentence was later reduced to two years by the Tehran Court of Appeals.
Baha’is in Iran continue to face systematic persecution, with arrests, detentions, and legal pressures being part of a broader campaign against the community….