Qatari Baha’i Dignitary Arrested In Doha On False Allegations Inspired By Iran Persecution

GENEVA—7 May 2025—The Baha’i International Community (BIC) is alarmed by the recent arrest and detention of Mr. Remy Rowhani, a senior Baha'i dignitary and respected Qatari citizen, in Doha on 28 April.

Mr. Rowhani was summoned to the Ministry of Interior Criminal Investigation Department for questioning. He was subsequently detained without explanation or access to his lawyer and his detention has been extended several times—the latest of which was for a month.

Mr. Rowhani later informed his lawyer that the Deputy Prosecutor conveyed three allegations to him by phone, two of which were “promoting the ideology of a deviant sect” and “inciting public opinion.” (Mr. Rowhani does not recall the third allegation and officials will not repeat it to him.) The complaint was brought by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.

Officials told Mr. Rowhani that the allegations relate to an X social media account representing the Qatari Baha’i community, created 5 years ago, which shares posts celebrating Qatari holidays and promoting values such as honesty and service to others.

“The charges brought against Remy Rowhani not only target him personally, but also falsely imply wrongdoing by the Baha’i community of Qatar,” said Dr. Saba Haddad, BIC Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. “Targeting Mr. Rowhani is a way to intimidate the whole Baha’i community—for no reason other than their beliefs. The Baha’i International Community is also alarmed that these allegations directly mirror those brought by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Baha’is in that country. The Iranian government is, without doubt, exporting its persecution of Baha’is beyond its borders.”

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Officials have not given Mr. Rowhani’s lawyer a formal statement of charges, and he has been denied bail. The latest developments come just three months after Mr. Rowhani’s unwarranted imprisonment late last year—an incident which marked a serious escalation in the ongoing pattern of state-sponsored discrimination against the Baha'i community in Qatar. The continued targeting of Mr. Rowhani, and the unfounded allegations brought against him, is the most recent example of the decades of systematic discrimination, blacklisting, deportations, family separations, and stifled career opportunities, of innocent and law-abiding citizens and residents, purely on account of their faith.

Qatar’s government has ignored repeated appeals by the Baha’i community and shows no indication that they plan to improve the situation—which has forced the BIC to issue statements at the United Nations Human Rights Council on the dire situation of Qatar’s Baha’i community.

The BIC is concerned that Qatari officials are retaliating against these statements by targeting Mr. Rowhani.

The Baha’i International Community urgently calls upon the Qatari authorities to:

• Immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Remy Rowhani and clear his record.
• Appoint an appropriate official government liaison with the Baha’is in Qatar.
• Cease all forms of discrimination against the Baha’is in Qatar, and guarantee that Baha’is are no longer arbitrarily blacklisted, unfairly expelled, or subjected to systemic exclusion.

The BIC further calls on Qatar to demonstrate that its commitments to human rights and social cohesion—principles it has publicly pledged to champion—are upheld in practice, not merely in words.

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. Despite overseeing voluntary financial contributions from Baha’is to the community, with the full knowledge of the Qatari authorities, Mr. Rowhani was charged in 2021 with collecting funds without a permit. His actions were not illegal under Qatari law at the time and no evidence was provided for the charges. Initially sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of $27,000, on appeal in 2022 his sentence was later reduced to one month in prison and a fine of $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 formal recognition, 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.

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