Iranian female journalists face trial for Mahsa Amini coverage

Two Iranian female journalists, Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who played a crucial role in exposing the story of Mahsa Amini's death in custody, have appeared before a Revolutionary Court in Iran. The two female journalists are facing charges of "collaborating with the hostile US government" and "propaganda against the establishment." 

The trial for Ms Hamedi commenced on Tuesday in Tehran, followed by Ms Mohammadi's trial the day after. Both journalists strongly deny the charges, asserting that they were simply fulfilling their professional duties.

Since the mass anti-government protests that erupted after Ms Amini's death, Iranian authorities have arrested over 75 journalists, with 17, including Hamedi and Mohammadi, still being held in prison, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 

The 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, passed away in a Tehran hospital on September 16th, just three days after being detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly." Witnesses reported that she was subjected to physical abuse while in custody, although authorities attributed her death to "sudden heart failure."

Ms Hamedi, a 30-year-old journalist working for Sharq newspaper, captured a powerful photograph of Ms Amini's father and grandmother embracing. She shared the image on Twitter with the caption, "The black dress of mourning has become our national flag." 

On the other hand, Ms Mohammadi, a 35-year-old reporter with Hammihan newspaper, published a story about Ms Amini's funeral in her hometown of Saqqez, highlighting the cries of hundreds of mourners chanting "Woman, life, freedom," which became a prominent slogan during the protests.

Both journalists were arrested by security forces, with Hamedi being detained on September 22nd and Mohammadi a week later. Prosecutors withheld information about the charges against them, and they were held in harsh conditions at Evin Prison and Qarchak Women's Prison. 

In October, Iran's intelligence ministry and the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence agency accused Hamedi and Mohammadi of being trained by the US Central Intelligence Agency to instigate unrest in the country. Last month, the judiciary announced that the journalists were charged with collaborating with the "hostile government of America," conspiracy, collusion to commit crimes against national security, and propaganda against the establishment.