In April 2021, a Qatari court framed Mr. Rowhani in a prejudicial case judged in absentia. The ruling was confirmed in May 2022 by an appeals court. In response to international concern, Qatari officials had given assurances that Mr. Rowhani’s one-month prison sentence and $13,700 fine would not be enforced, and he had been assured just week prior that he was free to travel. These actions marked an arbitrary escalation after decades of discrimination against the Bahá'ís in Qatar merely on account of their religion.

For over eight years, Mr. Rowhani has served as chairperson of the National Assembly of the Baha’is of Qatar, a pastoral voluntary role addressing 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 Baha’i community members in Qatar. [BIC Post on X; BIC News 30 December 2024]

See the interview with his daughter, Nora Rowhani, on YouTube..