On August 13, 2025, a court in Doha sentenced Remy Rowhani, 71, the Chair of Qatar’s National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is, to five years in prison. The charges? His online posts—simply celebrating holidays and Baha’i values—were deemed to undermine Islamic teachings. Human Rights Watch and the Baha’i International Community called for the conviction to be overturned and Rowhani released. Human Rights Watch
Rowhani faced three main legal accusations:
- Undermining the foundations of Islam (Article 259 of Qatar’s penal code),
- Violating social norms through online content (Article 8 of the 2014 Cybercrime Prevention Law),
- Spreading “destructive principles” via publications (Article 47(b) of the 1979 Law on Publications). Human Rights Watch
The content in question? Posts on Instagram and X that highlighted themes like justice, gender equality, respect for parents, and community service. Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch reviewed these and found them entirely peaceful.
Saba Haddad, the UN representative for the Baha’i International Community, put it bluntly:
“Imprisoning Remy Rowhani on a series of baseless charges rooted solely in his religious identity and activities is a serious breach of human rights law.”
“This attack on Remy Rowhani is an attack on all Baha’is in Qatar—and on the very principle of freedom of conscience.” Human Rights Watch
Rowhani had been arrested on April 28, 2025, and had remained in pretrial detention since. His defense team wasn’t even allowed to access court documents or present his case at the initial hearing on June 18. Human Rights Watch
These charges weren’t entirely new: Rowhani had earlier been fined 50,000 Qatari riyals (about US $13,700) and jailed for a month after collecting voluntary donations without a license, which is a core practice in the Baha’i faith. Human Rights Watch
Qatar has a documented history of discriminating against Baha’is—from denying recognition of their marriages and community institutions to blocking attempts to restore a Baha’i cemetery. Similar bias against Baha’is has been reported in Egypt, Yemen, and most notoriously, Iran. Human Rights Watch
On July 31, UN officials—including those focused on religious freedom, expression, peaceful assembly, culture, and arbitrary detention—publicly condemned Rowhani’s treatment and Qatar’s broader pattern of targeting Baha’is. Human Rights Watch
Michael Page, Deputy Director for the Middle East at Human Rights Watch, added:
“Imprisoning Remy Rowhani for five years … is a serious breach of human rights law. Qatari authorities should respect fundamental freedoms and immediately release Rowhani.” Human Rights Watch
Why it matters
- A peaceful religious leader was imprisoned over social media posts that promoted values like equality and justice.
- The judicial process appeared deeply unfair—from denying legal access to bringing excessive charges.
- The case highlights ongoing discrimination against the Baha’i minority in Qatar and across the region.
Source: [Human Rights Watch, “Qatar: Five-Year Sentence for Baha’i Dignitary on Abusive Charges”]
