DUBAI: A courtroom in Iran sentenced two Journalists to as much as seven years in jail for collaborating with the US authorities and different costs, native experiences stated Sunday. Each ladies have been imprisoned for over a 12 months following their protection of the demise of Mahsa Amini whereas in police custody in September 2022.
The sentencing might be appealed inside 20 days.
The 2 journalists are Niloufar Hamedi, who broke the information of Amini’s demise for sporting her headband too free, and Elaheh Mohammadi, who wrote about Amini’s funeral. They had been sentenced to seven and 6 years in jail, respectively, the judiciary information web site Mizan reported Sunday.
The New York-based Committee to Defend Journalists condemned the choice to condemn the 2 journalists and reiterated its name for his or her speedy launch.
“The convictions of Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi are a travesty and serve as a stark testament to the erosion of freedom of speech and the desperate attempts of the Iranian government to criminalize journalism,” stated Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Center East and North Africa program coordinator.
The Tehran Revolutionary Court docket had charged the journalists with collaborating with the hostile American authorities, colluding in opposition to nationwide safety and propaganda in opposition to the system, in line with Mezan.
Hamedi labored for the reformist newspaper Shargh, whereas Mohammadi labored for Ham-Mihan, additionally a reformist paper. They had been detained in September 2022.
The workplace of the US’s particular envoy for Iran condemned the sentences on the platform X, previously often known as Twitter, saying: “Niloufar and Elaheh should never have been jailed, and we condemn their sentences.”
It additionally stated, “The Iranian regime jails journalists because it fears the truth.”
The workplace is chargeable for creating, coordinating, and implementing the State Division’s Iran coverage and experiences on to the Secretary of State.
In Could, the United Nations awarded the journalists its premier prize for press freedom for his or her dedication to reality and accountability.
Amini’s demise touched off months-long protests in dozens of cities throughout Iran. The demonstrations posed one of the crucial severe challenges to the Islamic Republic because the 2009 Inexperienced Motion protests drew tens of millions to the streets.
Though almost 100 journalists had been arrested throughout the demonstrations, Hamedi’s and Mohammadi’s reporting was essential within the days after Amini’s demise to unfold the phrase concerning the anger that adopted.
Their detentions have sparked worldwide criticism over the bloody safety forces crackdown that lasted months after Amini’s demise.
For the reason that protests started, at the very least 529 individuals have been killed in demonstrations, in line with human rights activists in Iran. Over 19,700 others have been detained by authorities amid a violent crackdown making an attempt to suppress the dissent. Iran for months has not supplied any total casualty figures, whereas acknowledging tens of hundreds had been detained.