Iran Must Allow Mahvash Sabet to Recover in Peace and End Her Persecution
Geneva, 23 December 2024—Mahvash Sabet, a 71-year-old member of the Baha’i faith in Iran and a prisoner of conscience who has spent more than 13 years behind bars solely for her beliefs, has undergone open-heart surgery. Despite the severe health challenges she has endured—including prolonged denial of medical care while incarcerated—she now faces the grim prospect of being sent back to prison once her recovery is complete.
The Baha’i International Community (BIC) has called for Ms. Sabet’s immediate and unconditional release, urging Iranian authorities to cancel her prison sentence and guarantee her freedom.
A Life of Persecution
Mahvash Sabet was first arrested in 2008 as a member of an informal leadership group of the Baha’i community in Iran. Alongside six others, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison on baseless accusations. After her release in 2017, she was re-arrested in July 2022 despite her fragile health, which included complications from severe COVID-19 and other chronic illnesses. Her second prison sentence of another 10 years came despite reports from doctors warning that incarceration would severely impact her health.
While in prison, Ms. Sabet earned the admiration of her fellow inmates, including journalist Roxana Saberi, who saw her as a maternal figure and has repeatedly advocated for her release. Yet, Ms. Sabet endured relentless physical and emotional abuse, harsh interrogations, and solitary confinement. The health consequences of this maltreatment have been devastating, culminating in the need for heart surgery.
Medical evaluations from as far back as 2022 warned that her continued imprisonment would cause a rapid deterioration in her condition. Diagnoses included osteopenia, osteoporosis, tendinitis, severe asthma, and chronic bronchitis. Doctors also indicated that she was physically unfit to endure her sentence. These warnings were disregarded by the Iranian authorities.
A Call for Justice
Speaking on Ms. Sabet’s behalf, Simin Fahandej, BIC Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, stated, “Instead of providing necessary care, the government subjected her to solitary confinement and grueling interrogations. Ms. Sabet should never have been in prison, let alone denied medical treatment. The Iranian government must now rectify its actions by releasing her immediately so she can recover with her family.”
Ms. Sabet’s ordeal is emblematic of the broader systematic persecution faced by the Baha’i community in Iran. For over 45 years, Baha’is have been subjected to widespread discrimination and human rights abuses, condemned multiple times by the United Nations and the international community.
Former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, described the treatment of Baha’is as being driven by “genocidal intent.” Similarly, Human Rights Watch labeled the systemic repression of Baha’is a “crime against humanity of persecution.”
Health Neglected; Rights Ignored
The Iranian government has repeatedly ignored its legal obligation to provide adequate medical care to prisoners, including Baha’i detainees. Ms. Sabet’s current health crisis is just one example of the authorities’ disregard for the well-being of their prisoners. In 2023, reports emerged that Ms. Sabet’s knees were broken during an interrogation while she was at Evin Prison, yet she was forced to recover inside the prison walls.
“Imagine spending your later years, a time when most hope to be surrounded by family, instead confined to a prison cell while your body deteriorates,” Fahandej said. “This is the unimaginable injustice Mahvash continues to endure.”
The Baha’i International Community demands that Iranian authorities confirm Ms. Sabet will not be forced back into prison, stressing that her recovery and well-being must take precedence. “Not a single moment more of persecution should be inflicted upon her or any other prisoners of conscience,” Fahandej added.
An Icon of Courage
Ms. Sabet’s story has inspired many worldwide. Despite her suffering, she has remained a symbol of resilience and a champion for human rights. During her first imprisonment, she wrote a series of poems that earned her the title of “International Writer of Courage” by PEN International in 2017.
Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Ms. Sabet’s defense lawyer during her 2008 trial, stated there was “not a shred of evidence” supporting the charges against her. Other prominent figures, including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi and Iranian women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad, have spoken out in solidarity with Ms. Sabet and the Baha’i community.
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