The APPG on International Freedom of Religion or Belief celebrates the release of Mahvesh Sabet, a 71-year-old Iranian Baha’i prisoner of conscience jailed by the Islamic Republic for over 13 years for her beliefs. Mahvesh is an award-winning poet and teacher from Iran.
She spent several long years in detention between 2008 and 2017, until another arrest in 2022. She served a portion of the additional ten year prison charge until now, March 2025, when she has finally been released.
In December, she underwent open-heart surgery. She was previously denied proper medical care in prison, despite severe and worsening health issues, and has often been barred from hospital treatment regardless of her life-threatening ailments.
We thank all those who advocated for her release, and we will continue to champion prisoners of conscience, detained and subject to mistreatment on account of their religious belief around the world.
