Additional Name(s): یلدا فیروزیان
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: Iran
Ethnic Group: Fars
Religion or Belief: Bahá`í
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Reduced to 2 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment
Sentence: Originally 5 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: April/30/2019
Date of Sentencing: December//2019
Date of Release: March//2020
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials
Yalda Firouzian was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
On April 30, 2019, authorities arrested Firouzian and took her to an undisclosed location after raiding her home. She and two others were accused of “unlawful membership of an illegal group aimed at disrupting domestic security,” “participation in, formation and administration of an unlawful group intended to unsettling national security inside the country,” and “taking part in action against the Islamic Republic regime in favor of opposition groups.” She was reportedly denied access to a lawyer.
In October 2019, the Semnan Revolutionary Court sentenced Firouzian to five years in prison for "membership in organizations that aim to disrupt national security (Art. 499 IPC) and "propaganda against the state" (Art. 500 IPC).
In December 2019, it was reported that the Semnan Court of Appeals reduced Firouzian's sentence to two years and six months in prison.
Firouzian was reportedly subjected to inhumane living conditions and prolonged solitary confinement throughout her imprisonment.
In March 2020, Firouzian was released following a state directive in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Yalda Firouzian" United For Iran
"Three Baha’is Sentenced to 20 Years in Iran Jail" Iran Focus
"Iran Sentences Three Bahais to 20 Years for Their Religious Beliefs" Iran Human Rights Monitor
"Baha’is Denied Family Contact as they Mark Two Months in Jail" Iran Wire