Iran hands sentences to female journailsts who covered Mahsa Amini's death

The Iranian judiciary Sunday announced lengthy prison sentences for two female journalists, Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, who were arrested for covering the death of Mahsa Amini, an incident that led to nationwide protests.

Both journalists were found guilty of collaborating with the United States, Iran's arch-enemy, according to the judiciary's Mizan Online website.

In a ruling by the Revolutionary Court, Elaheh Mohammadi was sentenced to six years in jail, while Niloufar Hamedi received a seven-year prison term. Additionally, they were each given five-year sentences for conspiring against state security and one for propagating against the Islamic Republic. These sentences are to be served concurrently.

Elaheh Mohammadi, a reporter for Ham Mihan newspaper, and Niloufar Hamedi, a photographer for Shargh newspaper, have been detained in Tehran's Evin prison since September 2022, and their trials began in May.

Hamedi was arrested shortly after Mahsa Amini's death when she visited the hospital where Amini was being treated and posted a photo of the grieving family on social media. Mohammadi was arrested while covering Amini's funeral in Saqez, which turned into a demonstration.

The verdicts are subject to appeal, according to Mizan, and their lawyer has yet to react to the rulings. Iranian media reported that over 90 journalists had been questioned or arrested in various cities following protests sparked by Amini's death in August.

Elaheh's sister, Elnaz, who is also a journalist, was arrested, detained in Evin prison for a week in February, and received a three-year suspended sentence in September.

The trials of Hamedi and Mohammadi were held behind closed doors and were criticised by their families, lawyers, and international organisations advocating for journalists, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which has called for their release.

In August, the judiciary stated that the trials were related not only to Amini's death but also to alleged cooperation with the United States, as reported by the NGO United for Iran in California. Diplomatic ties between Tehran and Washington were severed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Mahsa Amini's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, was sentenced to one year in prison last week for propaganda against the state and speaking with foreign and local media about the case.

Although Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei agreed in February to pardon or commute the sentences of a "significant number" of convicts, Mohammadi and Hamedi were not among those released. The Amini protests resulted in several hundred deaths and thousands of arrests, including seven men who were executed for their alleged involvement in the "riots," as Iranian officials referred to the protests.