Politics Reports: Well-known Iranian journalists pardoned
The well-known Iranian journalists Nilufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi have been pardoned.
11.02.2025, 11:08
SDA
This means that all legal proceedings against the reporters have been dropped, reported their employers, the Iranian newspapers "Shargh" and "Hammihan", citing the journalists' lawyers.
Hamedi and Mohammadi were among the first to report on the death of Iranian Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini in the fall of 2022. Her death sparked nationwide protests against repressive policies and the Islamic system of rule.
After around 17 months in prison, both women were released on bail just over a year ago. In October 2024, it was initially reported that they would have to return to prison - but this was not confirmed.
Iran's head of state Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently pardoned around 3,000 people or reduced their prison sentences on the occasion of religious celebrations. Whether the two journalists benefited from this initially remained unclear.
Conviction by revolutionary court
A revolutionary court sentenced Mohammadi and Hamedi to prison at the end of October 2023 in connection with the wave of protests. Both women were accused of collaborating with the USA. According to the judiciary, the charges were dropped, but two sentences for "propaganda against the system" and "violations of national security" remained in place.
The case attracted a great deal of international attention. While Hamedi and Mohammadi were in prison, Unesco awarded them the UN cultural organization's Press Freedom Prize for their reporting in absentia.
