Over 200 Iran journalists and writers have demanded the release of two imprisoned journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, in prison for reporting the death of Mahsa Amini.
Hamedi, a former correspondent for Iran's prominent reformist newspaper, Shargh, and Elaheh Mohammadi, a fellow journalist at Ham-Mihan, have become symbols of the protests which followed the death of Amini who died in morality police custody last year.
Hamedi was arrested soon after covering the brutal death where reports showed the 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian had died of blows to the head, while Mohammadi was detained while reporting on the funeral procession at the Saqqez cemetery in Kordestan province. The two have been in temporary detention for over a year as the regime continues its bid to silence dissident voices.
On Tuesday, Shargh published the open letter, stating that despite nearly three months having passed since their last court hearing, Mohammadi and Hamedi are still imprisoned under the label of temporary detention without any verdict or the opportunity for release.
In the letter, journalists and literary figures emphasized that "the continued temporary detention of the two journalists after one year is unjustifiable." They wrote, "We, journalists, writers, and literary figures in Iran, insist that we do not allow arbitrary, extrajudicial, and unconstitutional actions to provide a suitable ground for the enemies of the people, and we demand the freedom of Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi."
Despite repeated requests from the public and international organizations for freedom of expression and the release of the two journalists, the Iranian judiciary continues to resist issuing bail and temporary release orders for them.
Iran ranks one of the world's least free countries for press freedom. Hundreds of journalists have been arrested and imprisoned since the Women, Life, Freedom movement began last year as the regime continues to suppress critical voices and impose deepening censorship.
