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 provi …