Baha'i leader jailed on 'baseless' charges freed in Qatar: HRW

The leader of Qatar's Baha'i minority was acquitted and released after being sentenced to five years in jail on a "baseless" conviction, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

Remy Rowhani, the septuagenarian chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is in Qatar had been jailed by a Doha court in April.

In August, HRW said he had been sentenced to five years in prison "based solely on exercising his rights to freedom of speech and religion".

But now, "Qatar's court of appeal reversed Rowhani's baseless conviction on September 30, 2025," HRW said in a statement, citing court documents.

Rowhani was released on 4 October, HRW said, adding that the prosecutor could appeal the decision within 60 days.

"Qatari authorities should build on this positive development by ensuring that Baha'is no longer face religious discrimination by Qatari government institutions," said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at HRW.

On 1 October, the Baha'i International Community (BIC) reported Rowhani had been acquitted.

HRW said Rowhani had been convicted, among other things, for violating public order and religious and social values by promoting Baha'i values on social media as well as promoting ideas that cast doubt on the foundations and teachings of Islam.

It said it had reviewed social media accounts linked to him and found posts limited to celebrating Baha'i values and Qatari and Muslim holidays.

Both HRW and the BIC accuse Qatar of routinely demonising the faith based on Islamic rulings that likely incite hatred against them.

The Baha'i faith, whose global headquarters are in Israel, claims more than seven million followers worldwide.

It is based on the teachings of Bahaullah, who was born in Iran in 1817 and is considered the prophet and founder of their monotheistic faith.