Bahai community condemns death sentence upheld by Iran court against one of its members

An organisation representing the Bahai community has condemned the death sentence upheld by a court in Iran against one of its members, imprisoned since 2013 for his religious beliefs, according to a statement.

Despite a humanitarian crisis and mounting health concerns in Yemen, an appeals court in Sana'a on Sunday upheld a "religiously-motivated death sentence" against Hamed bin Haydara, it said.

"At a time when the international community is battling a global health crisis, it is incomprehensible that the authorities in Sana'a have upheld a death sentence against an innocent individual solely because of his beliefs instead of focusing on safeguarding the population, including Baha'is," said Diane Ala'i, representative of the Baha'i international community to the United Nations in Geneva.

The Baha'i international community unequivocally condemns the death sentence against Haydara, she said.

After a series of trials spanning four years, Haydara was sentenced to public execution in 2018, the statement issued by the national spiritual assembly of the Baha'is of India said.