Women’s Freedom Forum

Babak Shadabi Summoned to Serve Prison Sentence It was learned on 23 October 2026 that Mr. Babak Shadabi, an environmental activist and a Bahá’í residing in Karaj, had been summoned to Branch 7 of the Sentence Enforcement Office of the Karaj Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office to begin serving his prison sentence. In addition, Mr. Shadabi’s bank accounts and mobile telephone lines have remained blocked since October 2025, despite the introduction of an official guarantor. These measures were imposed without notification of a formal ruling or completion of the required legal procedures. Mr. Shadabi has also been subjected to a travel ban. Security agents first arrested Mr. Shadabi on 6 November 2025 on the charge of “disturbing public opinion through propaganda against the regime in cyberspace”. He was released from detention after posting bail. Mr. Shadabi’s case had previously been heard by the Karaj Revolutionary Court in January 2026. He was convicted in absentia, without being present at the hearing or having an opportunity to defend himself, on the charge of “propaganda activity against the regime” under Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code. The conviction was based on his online activities. After Mr. Shadabi challenged the judgment issued in absentia, a retrial hearing was held on 2 June 2026 before Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mostafa Narimani. The court sentenced him to four months’ imprisonment and imposed a two-year ban on membership of and activity on social media platforms. At the time of writing, no information was available about the enforcement of the sentence or the likely date on which Mr. Shadabi would begin serving his term of imprisonment. #Bahai #Iran #Arrests #Imprisonments #BabakShadabi

In March 2026, Australia’s @abcnews reported on serious concerns surrounding the detention and alleged mistreatment of Peyvand Naimi, a young Bahá’í arrested in Kerman, Iran, during nationwide protests in January. Reporting by journalist Nassim Khadem highlighted allegations that Naimi had endured two mock hangings, prolonged torture, and repeated interrogations while in custody. According to the report, Naimi’s family said he had been arrested at his workplace by plain-clothes security forces and pressured into confessing to crimes he had not committed. At the time of publication, he had reportedly not been brought to trial and was being held in solitary confinement at Kerman Prison, where his relatives said he was being denied medical care. The Bahá’í International Community also raised concerns about his treatment, while his relatives warned of the deterioration of his physical and psychological health. Revisiting this March 2026 coverage highlights the serious concerns raised at the time about the treatment of Bahá’í detainees in Iran, including allegations of arbitrary detention, coercive interrogation, and religious persecution. Read the original ABC News coverage: abc.net.au/news/2026-03-25/i… #Bahai #Iran #BahaiRights #ABCNews #HumanRights