Iranian Baha’i poet faces return to Evin Prison after surgery
Prominent Baha’i poet Mahvash Sabet, 71, may soon be sent back to Evin Prison in Tehran following open-heart surgery, sparking alarm among human rights organizations and activists.
Prominent Baha’i poet Mahvash Sabet, 71, may soon be sent back to Evin Prison in Tehran following open-heart surgery, sparking alarm among human rights organizations and activists.
The Baha’i International Community has urged Iranian authorities to release Sabet unconditionally, warning of the serious risks to her life if she is sent back to prison.
Activists worldwide have rallied around her case, organizing a social media campaign under the hashtag #FreeMahvash.
Despite having recently had open heart surgery and worsening health condition, Iranian authorities have granted her only one month of medical leave and expect her to return to prison—a decision that has provoked global campaign.
PEN International voiced grave concern on Thursday over Sabet's return to prison, urging Iranian authorities to release her unconditionally.
Sabet, who suffers from severe heart and lung conditions, as well as osteoporosis and a lung tumor, has spent over 13 years of her life behind bars.
She was most recently arrested on July 31, 2022, and sentenced to 10 years in prison by a preliminary court on charges of leading an “illegal group with the intention of disrupting national security.”
This follows a previous decade-long sentence she served from 2008 to 2017 for her involvement in the governing body of the Baha’i community in Iran.
Sabet’s daughter, Negar who is based in Australia, shared a personal story on her X account, recounting her three-year-old child’s question: "Mommy, is prison even farther away than Iran?"
She reflected on the painful reality of her mother being separated from the family, particularly her granddaughter, who has never met her.
In 2017, Sabet was named an International Writer of Courage by PEN International, recognizing her literary contributions and courage in the face of persecution. She has also received a prestigious literary award in Norway and is an honorary member of PEN branches in Austria, Denmark and the UK.
At around 300,000 people, Baha'is constitute Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority. Rights groups say that Bahai's have faced systematic persecution and discrimination since the 1979 revolution.
The Islamic Repubic's current constitution only recognizes four religions: Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.
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Hossein Taeb, an advisor to the IRGC Commander-in-Chief, made the comments on Wednesday during a speech discussing Iran's so-called operation True Promise 3, an attack promised by Iranian officials on Israel.
"The operations of True Promise (1), 2, and 3 should be executed when they are strategically effective," Taeb said in comments carried by state media, referring to earlier Iranian attacks against its regional arch-enemy.
Operation True Promise 1 was Iran's first ever direct military strike against Israel, conducted on April 13, 2024.
In retaliation for an Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus two weeks earlier, which resulted in the deaths of two Iranian generals, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a coordinated assault involving over 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones targeting Israeli military installations.
Operation True Promise 2, conducted on October 1, 2024 saw the IRGC launched approximately 200 ballistic missiles targeting Israeli military facilities in response to the assassinations of high-ranking Iran-aligned militant leaders.
"Speeding up a war does not mean achieving success," Taeb added. "Strategic weapons must be used at the right time and in a timely manner."
The unprecedented attacks marked a significant escalation in Iran-Israel tensions, transitioning from proxy engagements to direct confrontation. But Israel's advanced air defense systems, with support from US and allied forces, intercepted the majority of the incoming projectiles, minimizing casualties and damage.
Taeb’s remarks follow months of speculation about why Iran has delayed another retaliation to Israel after it battered Tehran-backed armed groups in the region.
Two senior IRGC generals said earlier that Iran's loss of its ally in Syria and lack of sufficient funding meant the time was not right to hit Israel anew.