Iran Sentences Female Journalists to Prison for Alleged Collaboration with the United States
An Iranian court has handed down prison sentences to two female journalists accused of collaborating with the United States. These journalists have been in pre-trial detention since they covered the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody last September.
According to Iran’s state news agencyIRNA, Niloufar Hamedi from the reformist newspaper Shargh has been sentenced to seven years in prison by The Tehran Revolutionary Court. Elaheh Mohammadi from Ham-Mihan, another reformist paper, received a six-year sentence.
Reformists in Iran are advocating for changes to the country’s authoritarian Islamic government, which regularly faces criticism for its severe restrictions on civil liberties and human rights—values that are highly important to the United States, which the court deemed as “hostile” to Iran.
Both journalists have also been sentenced to an additional five years for acting against the country’s national security and one year for engaging in “propagandistic activities against the state.” The verdicts can be appealed within 20 days.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an organization that advocates for press freedom worldwide, if the appeals court upholds the verdicts, Ms. Hamedi will have to serve a minimum of seven years, while Ms. Mohammadi will serve at least six years.
Ms. Hamedi had previously faced backlash from Iranian authorities for reporting on the murder of a 16-year-old girl and the self-immolation of several Iranian women attempting to escape domestic violence.
Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, strongly criticized the sentencing of the two journalists.
“The convictions of Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi are a disgrace and highlight the erosion of freedom of speech and the desperate efforts of the Iranian government to criminalize journalism,” said Mr. Mansour.
A trash bin is burning as anti-riot police arrive during a protest over the death of a young woman who had been detained for violating the country’s conservative dress code, in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 20, 2022. (AP Photo)
The office of the United States special envoy for Iran has also come forward to support the two women in an Oct. 22 post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Niloufar and Elaheh should never have been imprisoned, and we condemn their sentences,” stated Deputy Special Envoy Abram Paley.
“The Iranian regime incarcerates journalists because it fears the truth.”
The U.S. special envoy for Iran is responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing the State Department’s Iran policy and reports directly to the Secretary of State.
Earlier this year, both Ms. Hamedi and Ms. Mohammadi were recognized in Time Magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people.
In addition, along with another imprisoned journalist, Narges Mohammadi, they were honored with the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize by the United Nations “for their dedication to truth and accountability.”
Arrested After Reporting on Death in Custody
Ms. Hamedi and Ms. Mohammadi have been in pre-trial detention since September 22 of last year after being among the first journalists to report on the hospitalization and death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
The morality police in Tehran detained Ms. Amini for allegedly not wearing a proper headscarf, a serious offense under Iran’s Shi’ite version of Sharia law. The morality police claim that Ms. Amini suffered a heart attack and died of natural causes. However, it was later alleged that she had a neurological disorder that led to her death.
Her family asserts that Ms. Amini did not have any medical conditions and claims they were denied the opportunity to have an independent autopsy performed by a doctor of their choice.
At the time, the Iranian government scrambled to contain the escalating unrest. Allegations of excessive force by authorities attempting to regain control quickly emerged. Over 500 protestors were reportedly killed in clashes with Iranian authorities, and tens of thousands were detained.
Exiled Iranians of the National Council of Resistance of Iran gather in front of the embassy of Iran in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 20, 2022, following the death of an Iranian woman held by the country’s morality police. (Michael Sohn/AP Photo)
There was swift condemnation from numerous world leaders for Ms. Amini’s death and the crackdown on protestors. Last September, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Iran’s morality police “for their abuse and violence against Iranian women and their violation of the rights of peaceful Iranian protesters.”
According to the CPJ, at least 95 journalists have been arrested in connection with the protests. Iran was ranked as the world’s worst jailer of journalists in the CPJ’s 2022 prison census, which documented individuals behind bars as of December 1.
Elnaz Mohammadi, the head of the social issues desk at Hammihan newspaper and the twin sister of Elahe Mohammadi, was arrested in February for unknown reasons. She was released on bail a week later. The details of her charges and court date are not publicly known at this time.
Teenage Girl Declared Brain Dead After Alleged Encounter with Police
Earlier this month, a teenage girl in Iran fell into a coma at a train station in Tehran. According to an October 22 report from Iranian state media, she has since been declared brain dead, raising concerns of another wave of unrest and protests.
The hospitalization of this 16-year-old girl has led to accusations by a rights group and activists that she was beaten into a coma by Iran’s morality police.
According to Hengaw, a human rights organization, Armita Garawand suffered a severe physical assault by the morality police for not complying with national hijab rules.
State-run media claims that the girl fainted due to a drop in blood pressure, causing her to hit the side of the train carriage.
Fars, Iran’s state news agency, published an interview with the girl’s parents in which they deny any attack. However, there are allegations that the family was coerced into making these statements.
How has the coverage of incidents involving journalists in Iran shed light on human rights abuses in the country?
Violence. Her coverage of these incidents shed light on the human rights abuses in Iran, resulting in increased scrutiny and criticism of the government’s handling of these cases.
The case of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi is not an isolated incident. Iran has a long history of cracking down on journalists and media outlets that are critical of the government or advocate for political and social reforms. Journalists in Iran frequently face harassment, arrest, and imprisonment for their work.
The imprisonment of these two female journalists highlights Iran’s continued violation of press freedom and its disregard for basic human rights. The government’s decision to prosecute and sentence these journalists is a clear attempt to silence dissenting voices and control the narrative within the country.
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