The Baha'i International Community (BIC) strongly condemns the unjust verdict of a court in Doha, Qatar, finding a distinguished Qatari Baha’i, Remy Rowhani, guilty of crimes he did not commit. Mr. Rowhani, a respected Qatari citizen and prominent member of the Baha’i community, now faces a sentence of five years’ imprisonment, handed down on 13 August 2025.

His detention had been extended several times, since the initial arrest, and Mr. Rowhani suffers from deteriorating health.

Court documents reveal that Mr. Rowhani was charged with promoting a doctrine or ideology that “casts doubt on the foundations and teachings of Islam” under Article 259 of the penal code, violating social principles and values using information technology, under Article 8 of the anti-cybercrime law, and disseminating material that calls and promotes the adoption of destructive principles, under Article 47(b) of the law on publications and publishing.

Mr. Rowhani’s sentence is a grave miscarriage of justice, motivated solely by religious prejudice and based on groundless charges. He was detained on 28 April 2025 on charges relating to the Qatari Baha’i community’s X social media account—which was created five years ago, posting quotes from the Baha’i writings and messages celebrating Qatari public holidays.

Far from attacking Islam and violating social values, as the Qatari judiciary alleges, the Qatari Baha’i community’s X posts shared quotes on Baha’i principles such as the Oneness of God, reliance on him, and service to humankind, honoring parents and raising children with good manners, and calling for good deeds and service to humanity, in addition to congratulatory posts on Islamic holy days and Qatari holidays.

"This unjust verdict against Remy Rowhani is a disturbing setback for human rights in Qatar," said Dr. Saba Haddad, BIC Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. "The Qatari authorities must recognize the profound injustice of this sentence and immediately release Mr. Rowhani, who committed no crime, but is known to all for his devotion to his country and his distinguished services."

Eleven United Nations experts have said they are “gravely concerned” over the treatment of Remy Rowhani and other Qatari Baha’is as well as discrimination against the entire Baha’i community. Analysis by the Baha’i International Community of fatwas by Qatari religious authorities, affiliated with Qatar’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, also exposes the religious prejudice at the root of the incitement to hatred and discrimination, dehumanization of the Baha’i community, and the branding of its followers as “infidels”. Several of the fatwas were also cited in the court document as basis for the charges brought against Remy Rowhani.

“On the world stage Qatar states that it is a staunch bulwark against religious hatred, for example defending Muslim communities against Islamophobia, yet the Qatari government discriminates against minorities at home,” Dr. Haddad added. “Such a discriminatory and selective policy on religious tolerance must come to an end.”

The BIC urges the international community to seek from Qatar assurances that it will respect  its human rights obligations under international law and take immediate action to secure Mr. Rowhani’s release and end the systematic discrimination against Baha'is in the country.

Sample posts from the Qatari Baha’i community’s X account

The posts below were listed in the court documents as evidence against Remy Rowhani for allegedly casting doubts on principles of Islam and violating social values. But in reality the posts stand as evidence of the baselessness of the charges and the resulting verdict.

A sample of the posts listed as evidence in the court documents:

Testifying to the Oneness of God 

“God has borne witness — our Lord and the Lord of the earth and the heavens — that there is no God but Him, the One, the Peerless, the Omnipotent, the Elect.” – From the Bahá’í Writings

Service to humanity

“Work performed in a spirit of service to our brethren in humanity is equivalent to worshipping God, exalted be He.” – From the Bahá’í Writings

Seeking God’s protection

“I have entrusted my soul to Your care and protection, so guard me with the safeguarding of the worlds.” – From the Bahá’í Writings

Devotion to God and detachment from all else

“O my God and my Beloved, I beseech Thee with my soul and my heart to sanctify me from the love of any other than Thee, to purify me from attachment to all else but Thee. Make my heart empty, pure, and clear, that it may be filled with love for Thy beauty, enkindled with the fire of Thy love, and attracted by the fragrances of Thy holiness.” – From the Bahá’í Writings

Reliance on God

“By Thy might, O Desire of the world, I love to place my trust in Thee in all circumstances and to commit my affairs to Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of the origin and the archetype. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Most Exalted.” – From the Bahá’í Writings

Background

On 23 December 2024, Mr. Remy Rowhani, a prominent Qatari citizen, former Director of the International Chamber of Commerce’s MENA regional office and chairperson of the Assembly of the Baha’is of Qatar, was detained at Doha International Airport while attempting to travel for a short holiday.

Despite having received verbal assurances from authorities that he was free to travel, Mr. Rowhani was arrested and placed in unsanitary detention conditions.

The baseless case against Mr. Rowhani

Mr. Rowhani’s case highlights decades of systemic discrimination against the Baha’i community in Qatar. In 2021, Mr. Rowhani faced spurious charges and was sentenced to six months in prison and fined, a sentence that was later reduced on appeal in 2022 to one month in prison and a fine of US$13,700.

After receiving verbal assurances via a third party that the sentence would not be enforced, in late 2024, Mr. Rowhani discovered that his case had been reopened and his access to key government services was restricted. He had been cleared to travel by airport authorities but, on 23 December 2024, he was detained and forced to begin his month-long prison sentence. He was also told that he would remain under surveillance for three years following his release.

The case and sentence against Mr. Rowhani were spurious, and his imprisonment arbitrary, vindictive, and undignified, and Mr. Rowhani had been framed only for his religious beliefs and for discharging his community responsibilities.

Mr. Rowhani’s pastoral role in the Baha’i community

For over eight years, Mr. Rowhani has served as chairperson of the Assembly of the Baha’is of Qatar, the elected governing institution of the Baha'i community in Qatar. His role is pastoral and addresses only the spiritual and administrative needs of the Baha’i religious community—which has existed in Qatar for over 80 years. His detention is emblematic of the broader pattern of discrimination faced by members of the Baha'i community in Qatar.

Government discrimination against the Baha’i community in Qatar

Over the eight decades the Baha’i community has existed in Qatar, it has sought to engage government authorities to address any misunderstandings and the systemic challenges such as discrimination, but to no avail. The BIC has long highlighted the relentless and concerted discrimination faced by the community. Baha’is in Qatar are denied basic rights, resulting in significant hardships including the termination of residency permits, denial of certificates of good conduct, sudden refusals of residency, and unjust restrictions on family reunification. These measures risk the community’s total erasure from Qatar.

For more information please contact

• Bani Dugal, Principal Representative, New York, [email protected],  +19143293020 (English)

• Dr. Saba Haddad, Representative, Geneva, [email protected], +41783082219 (English & Arabic)