Iran Sentences Two More Journalists To Imprisonment

Negin Bagheri and Elanaz Mohammadi were charged with "assembly and collusion" by a revolutionary court in Tehran.

Amir Raeesian, Mohammadi's attorney, confirmed the sentence on Saturday, explaining that the two journalists will serve a fraction of their sentence, and the remainder will be suspended for five years.

According to Raisian, the two were cleared of charges related to collaboration with hostile foreign entities. The court cited a lack of evidence and grounds for the charges, ultimately leading to their acquittal.

The reporters have also been subjected to a five-year "travel ban" and are prohibited from engaging in "professional activities related to the committed crime" or having interactions with individuals active in foreign media outlets.

Elnaz Mohammadi, a reporter for the reformist Ham-Mihan newspaper, is the sister of Elaheh Mohammadi, a journalist who was among the first to report Mahsa Amini's death in custody in September 2022. She was arrested and jailed alongside Niloufar Hamedi. The pair have been detained for 300 days because the regime held them responsible for the nationwide protests that erupted after Amini’s death.

Elnaz was detained in February but was released on bail about a week later. Bagheri, a journalist and women's rights activist, was also released on bail after being summoned, charged, and temporarily detained in February.

Mahsa Amini's death sparked nationwide protests that led to the Women, Life, Freedom movement, the boldest challenge the Islamic Republic has faced since its establishment.

In August, the chairman of the board of directors of the Tehran Journalists' Guild stated that more than one hundred reporters and journalists have been arrested following the protests, emphasizing that the "dark era of journalism" in Iran continues."