Prominent Sunni Scholar Sentenced to 76 Months in Prison

Mawlana Fazlu-Rahman Koohi, a prominent Sunni scholar of Iranian Baluchistan was sentenced to 76 months in prison by a Court in Mashhad. The Baloch cleric has been in prison since November 2019.

“SunniOnline”, the official news website of the Iranian Sunni community reported, the Friday Khateeb of Pashamag in Sarbaz County was summoned by the Mashhad Special Court for Clerics on November 28, 2019. On that summon, he was arrested along with six of his comrades by security agencies.

Previously, Koohi was detained and sent to jail on April 2017, where he was released after nine days by intermediation of Shaikh Abdol-Hamid, the Iranian Sunnis’ most influential leader.

Shaikh Fazlu-Rahman Koohi used to defend Iranian Sunnis’ due rights and criticize biased strategies against Sunnis in Iran. He also strongly opposed recruiting Baloch civilians in the Syrian conflict by the Iranian forces.

Mawlana Fazlu-Rahman Koohi is a member of the Coordination Council of Sunni Seminaries in Iranian Baluchistan.

At the meeting of this Council, while calling for his release, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid, chairman of the council said: “Mawlana Fazlu-Rahman Koohi is one of the most influential Sunni scholars who has no connection with anti-state armed organizations”.

Many Iranian Sunni scholars during Friday sermons described the court decision ‘unjust’ and called for immediate release of Mawlana Koohi.