Latest news with #Rowhani
Middle East Eye
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Human Rights Watch condemns Qatar over jailing of Bahai leader
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised Qatar for handing a five-year jail sentence to the leader of the country's Bahai community, denouncing it as an attack on his religious freedom. Remy Rowhani, 71, president of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahais in Qatar, was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison by a Doha court for violating public order and religious and social values. HRW said Rowhani was being targeted "solely for exercising his rights to freedom of expression and religion". According to the group, Rowhani's sentence came as a result of his promoting the Bahai faith on social media. The Bahai community, which says it has more than 7 million followers worldwide, follows the teachings of Bahaullah, born in Iran in 1817, whom it regards as a prophet. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "Locking up Remy Rowhani for five years on a series of charges... based solely on his religious identity and activities within the Baha'i community in Qatar constitutes a serious violation... of human rights," said Michael Page, HRW's deputy Middle East and North Africa director. "The Qatari authorities should respect fundamental freedoms and immediately release Rowhani." Citing court documents, the group said Rowhani was convicted, among other things, of "promoting ideas that question the foundations and teachings of Islam". Qatar's constitution officially prohibits any "discrimination based on sex, origin, language, or religion" and emphasises "freedom of worship". However, between 2003 and 2025, Qatari authorities "expelled up to 14 members of the community for no apparent reason other than their membership in the Baha'i faith," according to HRW. Remy Rowhani was arrested last April under Qatar's cybercrime law for posts made on an anonymous account, only months after being released from prison following a one-month sentence.
Canada News.Net
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Qatar sends Baha'i leader to jail for 5 years over social media posts
DOHA, Qatar: The head of Qatar's small Baha'i community has been sentenced to five years in prison for social media posts authorities claim "cast doubt on the foundations of the Islamic religion," according to court documents obtained by the Baha'i International Community (BIC). A three-judge panel of Qatar's Supreme Judiciary Council delivered the verdict on August 13 against Remy Rowhani, 71, who has been in detention since April. The documents show that the court rejected a defense plea for leniency, citing Rowhani's heart condition. Saba Haddad, the BIC's representative to the United Nations in Geneva, condemned the ruling as "a serious breach and grave violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief" and "an attack on Remy Rowhani and the Baha'i community in Qatar." In a statement on X, the organization urged the international community to press Qatar to release Rowhani immediately and comply with international law. The Baha'i faith, founded in the 1860s by Persian nobleman Baha'u'llah, teaches that all religions are progressive revelations of God's will, culminating in the unity of all people and faiths. While accepted in many countries, Baha'is in parts of the Middle East face persistent repression. Human rights advocates say persecution is most severe in Iran, where the faith is banned. They accuse Tehran of promoting anti-Baha'i policies beyond its borders, including in Yemen, where Iran supports the Houthis, and in Qatar, which shares the world's largest natural gas field with Iran. "The sheer arsenal the Iranian government has expended to crush the Baha'is in every avenue of life has been astronomical," said Nazila Ghanea, a University of Oxford law professor and U.N. Special Rapporteur on religious freedom. "It has also extended its reach, time and again, beyond the border of Iran." Advocates say anti-Baha'i discrimination in the region includes deportations, family separations, denial of marriage licenses, exclusion from public schools, and restrictions on burial rights.
Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Human Rights Watch slams Qatar for handing Baha'i leader five-year jail term
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BEIRUT - Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Aug 15 condemned a five-year jail sentence it said had been handed down by a Qatari court against the leader of the emirate's Baha'i minority on 'abusive charges'. The New York-based watchdog said Remy Rowhani, the 71-year-old chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is in Qatar, had been jailed by a Doha court on Aug 13 'based solely on exercising his rights to freedom of speech and religion'. Qatar convicted him of violating public order and religious and social values by promoting Baha'i values on social media, HRW said citing court documents. 'Imprisoning Remy Rowhani for five years, on a series of abusive charges rooted solely in his religious identity and activities within the Qatari Baha'i community is a serious breach of human rights law,' said HRW's deputy Middle East director, Michael Page. 'Qatari authorities should respect fundamental freedoms and immediately release Rowhani,' he added. The Baha'i leader was convicted of promoting ideas that cast doubt on the foundations and teachings of Islam, violating social values using information technology and disseminating material that 'promotes the adoption of 'destructive principles',' HRW said, citing court documents. He was also convicted of collecting donations without a licence for the benefit of Baha'i people and entities abroad. Donating is a religious obligation central to the faith. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 5 new walking trails allow hikers to explore heritage sites, win FairPrice, Cold Storage vouchers World Trump advises Ukraine's Zelensky to 'make a deal' with Russia after meeting Putin World Takeaways: Warm words contrast with cold reality of no deal at Trump-Putin summit Singapore Nowhere to run: Why Singapore needs to start protecting its coasts now Life Switching careers in middle age and beyond: How these Singapore professionals did it Asia 11,000 properties without power after 4.9-magnitude quake strikes near east coast of Australia Asia Move over, Labubu – Chiikawa is the new craze in Hong Kong Both HRW and the Baha'i International Community accuse Qatar of routinely demonising the faith based on Islamic rulings that likely incite hatred against them. Rowhani was detained under Qatar's cybercrime law in April over posts on social media accounts linked to the Baha'i community, HRW said at the time. His lawyer has not been allowed to review court documents outlining the charges and evidence against him, defend his client in an initial June 18 hearing or access legal documents, the group said. The Baha'i faith, whose global headquarters are in Israel, claims more than seven million followers worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Bahaullah, who was born in Iran in 1817 and is considered the prophet and founder of their monotheistic faith. Rowhani had been released from prison in January after serving a one-month sentence. AFP
Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Qatar sentences the country's Baha'i leader to 5 years for social media posts
by Naharnet Newsdesk 14 August 2025, 15:29 The leader of the small Baha'i community in Qatar was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for social media posts that allegedly "cast doubt on the foundations of the Islamic religion," according to court documents obtained by an international Baha'i organization monitoring the case. A three-judge panel of Qatar's Supreme Judiciary Council issued the verdict against Remy Rowhani, 71, who has been detained since April, according to documents provided to The Associated Press by the Baha'i International Community office in Geneva, Switzerland. The judges rejected a defense request for leniency on grounds that Rowhani suffered from a heart condition, according to the documentation. Saba Haddad, the Geneva office's representative to the United Nations, depicted the verdict as "a serious breach and grave violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief and an attack on Remy Rowhani and the Baha'i community in Qatar." Haddad's office, in a post on X, called on the international community "to urge Qatar's government to uphold international law and ensure Mr. Rowhani's immediate release." Queried by The Associated Press about the verdict, Qatar's International Media Office issued this response: "Qatar's Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of worship for all. This must be exercised in accordance with the law and must not threaten or violate public stability and security. Qatar's legal system ensures that all parties in any case are granted due process and provided legal representation, with no discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or any other status." The verdict came just two weeks after a group of U.N. human rights experts expressed "serious concern" about Rowhani's arrest and detention, which they depicted as "part of a broader and disturbing pattern of disparate treatment of the Baha'i minority in Qatar." "The mere existence of Baha'is in Qatar and their innocuous presence on X cannot be criminalized under international law," they said. Rowhani — former head of Qatar's Chamber of Commerce — had been arrested once previously, accused of offenses such as routine fundraising related to his leadership of Qatar's Baha'i National Assembly. The latest charges, filed in April, involve the Baha'i community's X and Instagram accounts, which contain posts about Qatari holidays and Baha'i writings. According to the documentation provided by the Geneva office, Qatari prosecutors alleged that these accounts "promoted the ideas and beliefs of a religious sect that raises doubt about the foundations and teachings of the Islamic religion." Rowhani's daughter, Noora Rowhani, who lives in Australia, said via email that the five-year verdict is "so unfortunate and so shocking." "My eye condition is deteriorating and in five years, even if I meet, him I will most probably not be able to see him anymore," she added. The Baha'i faith — a small but global religion with an interfaith credo — fits comfortably into the religious spectrum of most countries but in several Middle East nations, Baha'i followers face repression that is drawing criticism from rights groups. The abuse is most evident in Iran, which bans the faith and has been widely accused of persecuting Baha'i followers, human rights advocates say. They also report systemic discrimination in Yemen, Qatar and Egypt. Advocates say Iran's government has pressed for repression of the Baha'i followers in countries where it holds influence, such as Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels control the northern half of the country, and Qatar, which shares with Iran the world's largest natural gas field. The Baha'i faith was founded in the 1860s by Baha'u'llah, a Persian nobleman considered a prophet by his followers. Muslims consider the Prophet Muhammad the highest and last prophet. From the Baha'i faith's earliest days, Shiite Muslim clerics have denounced its followers as apostates. That repression continued after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, when many Baha'i followers were executed or went missing. There are less than 8 million Baha'i believers worldwide, with the largest number in India.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Qatar sentences the country's Baha'i leader to 5 years for social media posts
The leader of the small Baha'i community in Qatar was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for social media posts that allegedly 'cast doubt on the foundations of the Islamic religion,' according to court documents obtained by an international Baha'i organization monitoring the case. A three-judge panel of Qatar's Supreme Judiciary Council issued the verdict against Remy Rowhani, 71, who has been detained since April, according to documents provided to The Associated Press by the Baha'i International Community office in Geneva, Switzerland. The judges rejected a defense request for leniency on grounds that Rowhani suffered from a heart condition, according to the documentation. Saba Haddad, the Geneva office's representative to the United Nations, depicted the verdict as 'a serious breach and grave violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief and an attack on Remy Rowhani and the Baha'i community in Qatar.' Haddad's office, in a post on X, called on the international community 'to urge Qatar's government to uphold international law and ensure Mr. Rowhani's immediate release.' Queried by The Associated Press about the verdict, Qatar's International Media Office issued this response: 'Qatar's Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of worship for all. This must be exercised in accordance with the law and must not threaten or violate public stability and security. Qatar's legal system ensures that all parties in any case are granted due process and provided legal representation, with no discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or any other status.' The verdict came just two weeks after a group of U.N. human rights experts expressed 'serious concern' about Rowhani's arrest and detention, which they depicted as 'part of a broader and disturbing pattern of disparate treatment of the Baha'i minority in Qatar.' 'The mere existence of Baha'is in Qatar and their innocuous presence on X cannot be criminalized under international law,' they said. Rowhani — former head of Qatar's Chamber of Commerce — had been arrested once previously, accused of offenses such as routine fundraising related to his leadership of Qatar's Baha'i National Assembly. The latest charges, filed in April, involve the Baha'i community's X and Instagram accounts, which contain posts about Qatari holidays and Baha'i writings. According to the documentation provided by the Geneva office, Qatari prosecutors alleged that these accounts 'promoted the ideas and beliefs of a religious sect that raises doubt about the foundations and teachings of the Islamic religion.' Rowhani's daughter, Noora Rowhani, who lives in Australia, said via email that the five-year verdict is 'so unfortunate and so shocking.' 'My eye condition is deteriorating and in five years, even if I meet, him I will most probably not be able to see him anymore,' she added. The Baha'i faith — a small but global religion with an interfaith credo — fits comfortably into the religious spectrum of most countries but in several Middle East nations, Baha'i followers face repression that is drawing criticism from rights groups. The abuse is most evident in Iran, which bans the faith and has been widely accused of persecuting Baha'i followers, human rights advocates say. They also report systemic discrimination in Yemen, Qatar and Egypt. Advocates say Iran's government has pressed for repression of the Baha'i followers in countries where it holds influence, such as Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels control the northern half of the country, and Qatar, which shares with Iran the world's largest natural gas field. The Baha'i faith was founded in the 1860s by Baha'u'llah, a Persian nobleman considered a prophet by his followers. Muslims consider the Prophet Muhammad the highest and last prophet. From the Baha'i faith's earliest days, Shiite Muslim clerics have denounced its followers as apostates. That repression continued after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, when many Baha'i followers were executed or went missing. There are less than 8 million Baha'i believers worldwide, with the largest number in India.
