TEHRAN: In a recent development that has drawn international attention, two Iranian journalists, Negin Bagheri and Elnaz Mohammadi, have been sentenced to serve a partly suspended three-year prison term.
This sentence stems from charges of “conspiracy” and “collusion,” although specific details of the allegations against the reporters have not been disclosed. The verdict, issued by Iranian authorities, mandates that the journalists spend approximately one-fortieth of their sentence behind bars, translating to less than a month.
Amir Raisian, the legal counsel representing Bagheri and Mohammadi, revealed that the remaining duration of their sentence, spanning five years, will be suspended. During this period, they are required to undergo “professional ethics training” and are prohibited from leaving the country. However, the lawyer did not provide information regarding the possibility of appealing the verdict.
Elnaz Mohammadi, one of the sentenced journalists, works for the reformist Ham Mihan daily newspaper, where her sister, Elaheh, is also employed. Tragically, Elaheh Mohammadi has been in prison since September 2022 following her reporting on the funeral of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd who died while in police custody. Amini’s death in September the previous year, stemming from her alleged breach of Iran’s dress code, sparked widespread protests across the nation, lasting for months.
These protests, marked by both public outrage and government crackdowns, resulted in hundreds of casualties, including the loss of lives among both protesters and security personnel. Thousands of individuals were arrested in connection with what Iranian officials labelled as “foreign-instigated riots.”
Notably, the fate of journalists in Iran has come under increased scrutiny, with local media reporting that more than 90 journalists have faced questioning or arrest since the protests erupted. This crackdown on the media has raised concerns about freedom of the press within the country.
In another alarming incident, journalist Nazila Maroufian, who had previously defied Iran’s strict dress code and was released on bail earlier in August, was recently rearrested for not wearing a headscarf in public. These incidents serve as stark reminders of the challenges faced by journalists and the broader issue of human rights and freedom of expression in Iran.
