Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court confirmed the nine-year prison sentence, six-year social rights deprivation, and monetary fine imposed on a Baha’i citizen.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, Mr. Rahimian had previously been sentenced by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran to nine years in prison, six years of social rights deprivation, and a financial penalty on charges of “educational and/or propagandistic activities contrary to or disruptive of the sacred Islamic religion” and “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against national security.”
Keyvan Rahimian, a translator and psychologist, was arrested in July 2023 and transferred to Evin Prison. He is a professor at the Bahá’í Virtual University of Iran and has a history of arrest and imprisonment.
His charges include “educational and/or propagandistic activities contrary to or disruptive of the sacred Islamic religion” and “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against national security.”
Mr. Rahimian had previously been sentenced by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on the same charges. He was arrested in July 2023 and transferred to Evin Prison.
In 2017, Keyvan Rahimian was also sentenced to five years in prison on charges related to his religious activities.
The conviction of Baha’i citizens in Iran for their religious activities has repeatedly been criticized by human rights organizations.