Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi released on $200,000 bail after 15 months in jail

Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, the Iranian colleagues who have been in prison for more than a year for their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini, have each been released on $200,000 bail pending their appeal. It was also reported on Sunday that until their appeal is heard they are banned from leaving the country. They have been in prison for 15 months because they simply carried out their work.

WHAT HAPPENED

In September 2022, Niloofar Hamedi, an Iranian photographer, who works for the reformist daily newspaper Shargh Daily, broke the news of the custodial death of Mahsa Amini, after managing to enter Kasra Hospital on 16 September, in Tehran, where the 22-year-old Amini was being treated following her detention by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab inappropriately. The police version was that the young girl had a sudden heart problem, but Amini’s parents disputed that report. Only a few hours later Mahsa would die. Niloofar Hamedi had tweeted a photo of Amini’s parents crying in the hospital. And the spread of this image triggered protests across the nation.

ARRESTS

On 22 September, Niloofar Hamedi was arrested. As her lawyer Mohammad Ali Kamfirouzi explained, security officers broke into her home, arrested her, ransacked her home and confiscated her belongings. Not only that, her Twitter account was suspended without explanation.

Elaheh Mohammadi, who reports on society and women’s issues for the daily HamMihan newspaper, was arrested on September 29 after her report on Amini’s funeral. She had travelled to Amini’s hometown, Saqqez, for HamMihan newspaper to cover the funeral of the 22-year old and had reported about the police attack there.

THE SENTENCES

In October 2023, Niloofar Hamedi was sentenced to 7 years in prison on the charge of collaborating with the hostile Government of the United States: 5 years in prison for collusion to commit crimes against the country’s security and 2 years in prison on the charge of propagating against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Elaheh Mohammadi: sentenced to 6 years in prison on the charge of cooperating with the hostile Government of the United States: 5 years in prison for collusion to commit crimes against the country’s security and 1 year in prison on the charge of propagating activities against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Credit: AIPS Media