Iran: Growing Alarm: CFWIJ and Women Press Freedom Spotlights Iran's Unceasing Harassment and Unjust Sentencing of Journalists
Location: Iran, Tehran
Date: January 10, 2023This report was updated on September 23, 2024
Photo Credit: Atta Kenare / AFP
***This report was updated on September 23, 2024
Journalists and media professionals in Iran endure harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests, often facing charges such as spreading propaganda against the state or engaging in activities that threaten national security. This not only stifles journalistic freedom but also creates an environment of fear and self-censorship, as journalists strive to avoid punishment. Women Press Freedom, and the Coalition For Women In Journalism stand in solidarity with Iranian journalists and strongly condemn arbitrary arrests and sham trials against them. We demand their immediate acquittal and urge the International community to prioritize journalists' cases when engaging with Iran.
"I'm hopeful for the future of journalism in Iran and I'm certain women journalists will contribute noticeably to the progression of independent, truthful journalism, as they have always done during the last 43 years," says N.L, an Iranian woman journalist on the ground who asked to remain anonymous.
Over 30 Women Journalists Remain Behind Bars In The Islamic Republic
CFWIJ and Women Press Freedom are deeply concerned about the well-being of the imprisoned women journalists and demand that all 35 women journalists still behind bars be released immediately and without any conditions. This number includes all women journalists who were arrested before the unrest erupted and those arrested after the protests engulfed the country. Since Mahsa Amini’s death an alarming number of 46 women journalists have been arrested and 20 have been imprisoned.
The Islamic Republic has since released 26 women journalists on bail. However, the bail amount is usually too steep for journalists to pay and the legal process too long. These tactics keep journalists from focusing on their work and keeping the public informed.
Journalist Yalda Moaiery was the first to be arrested on September 19, 2022. Moiaery was physically assaulted while being taken into custody. She was prohibited to have any contact with her family. Moiaery was first taken to a prison in Tehran before being moved to Qarchak prison from where she was released on December 22, 2022.
"As an Iranian woman journalist, I am experiencing different emotions simultaneously; anger, hope, and sadness, but definitely, not disappointment."
CFWIJ and Women Press Freedom are closely and rigorously in touch with its contacts in the field and on the ground. These incomparable women are reporting back to us even though they risk being arrested, tortured, and even killed in reprisal.
"Different news platforms, for instance, CNN and BBC have offices around the globe, but not in Iran. The situation is worse for women journalists because they're the members of two severely oppressed groups at the same time: journalists and women. Now imagine you're a Kurdish female journalist," says N.L.
TIMELINE of Arrests of Women Journalists Since September 19, 2022
This timeline, current as of January 30, 2024, is based on information compiled from CFWIJ’s own sources inside and outside Iran, local media reports, the Tehran Journalists Association and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
On September 19, journalist Yalda Moaiery was physically assaulted while being taken into custody along with other female protesters. Her family was not allowed to see her. According to her brother, the journalist was taken to a prison in Tehran. Moaiery was eventually released from Qarchak prison on December 20, 2022.
On September 21, Niloofar Hamedi, a journalist with Tehran-based semi-reformist Shargh Daily, was arrested from her home. She was the first to report on Mahsa's hospitalization. A tweet posted by her lawyer, Mohammad-Ali Kamfirouzi, confirmed that she was being held in solitary confinement and was interrogated in Tehran’s Evin prison. As of yet, the journalist has not been informed of the charges, if any, against her. On October 30, 2022 Hamedi was accused by the Iranian government for having ties with the CIA. The Islamic Republic has classified Hamedi as a foreign agent and incriminated her of being “primary sources of news for foreign media”. Hamedi is currently being held captive in Evin prison. 88 days after Hamedi’s detention her husband Mohammad Hossein Ajorloo was finally able to enter the Evin prosecutor’s office and talk to the prosecutor. They conveyed to him that Niloofar was transferred to Qarchak prison. Niloofar Hamedi’s future is in complete uncertainty. On October 22, 2023 Hamedi was handed a 13-year prison sentence. On January 14, 2024, after spending 17 months in prison, Hamedi was granted temporary release upon posting heavy bail. She is now awaiting the verdict of her appeal. However, Hamedi is now facing a travel ban, which restricts her from leaving the country during this period. On January 15, 2024, Hamedi was charged with new offenses by the Iranian regime. These charges stem from her alleged failure to wear her hijab properly the day after being released from prison. On August 10, 2024, Hamedi was cleared of the accusation of "collaborating with a hostile foreign state" by Iranian courts. Despite this, her original five-year imprisonment sentence for different violations remains in effect.
On September 21, Batol Balali, a reporter for Kerman Farda news website and local weekly Pasargad in the city of Kerman was arrested while covering the protests in Sirjan in Kerman province over the death of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Balali has since been released awaiting her trial.
On September 22, 2022, Elahe Mohammadi, a reporter with state-run Ham-Mihan Daily, Elnaz Mohammadi, a political reporter with partially state-run bi-monthly Andisheh Pouya magazine and Elahe’s twin sister were arrested. Elahe Mohammadi’s husband confirmed that she was moved to Qarchak prison. On October 22, 2023, Elahe Mohammadi was sentenced to 12 years in prison.Elahe Mohammadi is imprisoned in Evin prison due to accusations by the Islamic Republic and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) for being trained as a foreign agent along with Niloofar Hamedi. On January 14, 2024, following a 17-month stint in prison, Mohammadi was temporarily released after posting a substantial bail amount. She is currently awaiting the outcome of her appeal. However, Mohammadi's freedom is further constrained by a travel ban that prohibits her from leaving the country during this time. Unfortunately, on January 15, 2024, Mohammadi faced additional charges levied by the Iranian regime. These charges are based on allegations of her failure to adhere to proper hijab regulations the day after her release from prison. On August 10, 2024, Mohammadi was cleared of the accusation of "collaborating with a hostile foreign state" by Iranian courts. Despite this, her original five-year imprisonment sentence for different violations remains in effect. Elnaz Mohammadi has since been released from prison. On February 5, 2023, it was reported that Elnaz Mohammadi was summoned to the Evin Prosecutor's Office where she was arrested again without explanation. On February 12, 2023, Elnaz Mohammadi was released again on bail. On September 2, 2023, Elnaz Mohammadi was handed a three-year suspended prison sentence on charges of "assembly and collusion," however, she was cleared of allegations of collaborating with foreign entities due to insufficient evidence. In addition to the suspended sentence, Elnaz Mohammadi also faces a five-year travel ban and restrictions on her professional activities.
On September 23, Fatemeh Rajabi, an economics reporter, was arrested from her home in Tehran. CFWIJ’s sources on the ground said her whereabouts could not be immediately ascertained. She was released on bail on October 18, 2022. .
On September 24, Vida Rabbani, a political commentator, was arrested by security forces. She was later released. On June 29, 2022, Rabbani shared on social media that she had been sentenced to five years in prison for "assembly and collusion against national security" and an extra 15 months for "propaganda against the state," with two of the years being suspended. Additionally, Rabbani received a five-year prohibition from conducting professional activities, including on social media. She stated that she is also prohibited from engaging in political activities or attending gatherings. On May 21, 2023, Rabbani was moved from Evin prison to Tehran’s Taleghani hospital for urgent medical care. She had been experiencing severe headaches for the previous two months, necessitating an MRI test. Despite her worsening health condition and the prison hospital's suggestion for a CT scan and specialized assessment, the authorities adamantly resisted her transfer to an outside medical facility.
On September 24, sisters Zahra Tohidi and Hoda Tohidi, two political reporters, were reportedly taken by security forces. Details surrounding their arrest could not be immediately ascertained. Both journalists have since been released.
On September 26, Elmira Bahmani, freelance reporter, commentator and columnist on women’s rights issues, was arrested from the northern city of Rasht in Gilan province. The reason behind Elmira’s arrest is unknown and it is not clear whether or not she took part in any demonstrations in the city before her arrest. On the same day, Sarvenaz Ahmadi, a freelance political and cultural reporter, was also arrested by security forces and recently released on bail after days in detention. On November 6, 2022, Ahmadi was arrested again along with her journalist husband after armed agents raided their home in Tehran. The reasons for their arrest are yet unknown. On December 7, 2022 Ahmadi was temporarily released after posting bail. The 15th Branch of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced Sarvenaz Ahmadi to 6 years in prison. On January 4, 2023, the court held a hearing on the accusations against Sarvenaz Ahmadi and her spouse. If the sentence is approved during the appeal stage, Article 134 of the regime’s Penal Code, the harshest punishment of 5 years, will be implemented for Ahmadi. On March 12, 2023, Ahmadi was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.
On September 29, 2022, according to a report from the Iran Journalists' Association, Marzieh Talaee, a journalist for Mokarian News Agency was arrested in Kurdistan and is among the first arrested journalists who are still in prison.
On September 30, 2022, Nasrin Hassani, a reporter for the local state-run newspaper Etefaghyeh was arrested in Bojnourd in North Khorasan province. She was later released on bail. In November 2023, Hassani received a seven-month prison sentence for "false news." Just a month later, she was handed an additional one-year prison term for "spreading propaganda against the system" by Branch 1 of Bojnourd Revolutionary Court. On February 4, 2024, following her compliance with a summons to appear before Branch 2 of Bojnourd Revolutionary Court, Hassani was arrested and transferred to the city's central prison to commence her seven-month sentence.
On October 1, 2022, Safiyeh Qarabaghi, a freelance reporter who covers women’s issues in her hometown of Zanjan, was arrested according to a tweet by her husband, who said she was taken to an undisclosed location. She was released on bail later.
On October 3, 2022, Sepideh Salarvand, an award-winning documentary maker, was arrested from her Tehran home. Her most recent project focused on Afghan child laborers in Iran. She was released 2 weeks later.
On October 5, 2022, Mehrnoosh Tafian, a freelance political reporter, was arrested from the southwestern city of Ahvaz, in the majority Arab province of Khuzestan, according to IranWire. On January 5, 2023, Tafian was sentenced to one year in prison and banned from leaving the country for two years.
On October 8, 2022, reporter Somayeh Masror, who works for the state-run Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) was arrested in her hometown of Isfahan according to the local state-run news website Sedayejoya.ir. Masror has since been released from prison.
On October 10, 2022, Saba Sherdoost, a freelance reporter, was arrested from her home in Tehran. Her husband, Milad Fadaei-Asl, also a journalist, was arrested along with her. HRANA media says in a Twitter post that journalist Saba Sherdoost was released on bail until the end of legal proceedings.
On October 16, 2022, Saeedeh Fathi, a freelance sports reporter, was arrested at her home in Tehran and detained without any charges. Fathi has since been released on bail.
On October 19, 2022, journalist and political activist Mandana Sadeghi in Abadan and journalist Farkhondeh Ashori in Shiraz were arrested according to CFWIJ’s sources on the ground. Sadeghi was previously prosecuted during the protests of November 2018, and criticism of what happened during the construction and then the collapse of the Metropol building in Abadan. She has a case against her in the judiciary of Khuzestan province. She has since been released on bail after 42 days in detention. Freelance journalist Farzaneh Yahya-Abadi was also arrested from her office in Abadan in the morning.
On October 28, 2022, freelance photojournalist Malihe Darki, was arrested in the central city of Shiraz in Shiraz province according to a report from IranWire.
On the morning of October 30, 2022 journalist Marzieh Amiri was arrested for the third time. She was previously charged with with ten-and-a-half years in prison and 147 lashes. She is reportedly currently imprisoned in Evin prison. Her work was essential to reporting on the dire poverty in the country, gender inequality and government corruption among other issues. Amiri has been released on bail after 47 days in detention.
On October 30, 2022, Samira Alinejad, a reporter with the state-run local news website SirjanRavi News, was also arrested while covering the demonstration in the southern city of Sirjan, according to Ashkan News. She is being held at Sirjan central prison. Alinejad has since been released from prison.
On October 30, 2022, Nazila Maroofian, a reporter of Rouydad 24 and former reporter of Didban Iran was arrested from a friend’s home and taken into custody. She was immediately transferred to the detention center of the Ministry of Intelligence known as Ward 209 at the infamous Evin Prison. There is no information on the reasons for her arrest and charges yet. Maroofian was the first journalist to interview Amjad, the father of murdered Mahsa Amini, on October 19, 2022. This young journalist suffered a great deal of mental pressure and mental torture in prison and under interrogation. She was held in solitary confinement or cells with a small number of prisoners. The day before the trial, she fainted and had a heart attack. Maroofian was then transferred to Muftah hospital in Shahreri. She was returned to Qarchak prison, even though the tests run on the conditions of her health were not completed. On January 9, 2023, Maroofian was temporarily released from Qarchak prison after 72 days of detention, with a bail of 600 million tomans. On January 28, 2023, the Kurdish journalist was sentenced to two years in prison, a fine of 15 million Tomans and a five-year ban on leaving Iran. On June 15, 2023, the journalist took to Twitter to share the abuse she has faced from.a Special Unit officer since her release. "What's with the hair and look? Of course, because you're a prostitute, you dress like this," Maroofian recounts an incident in which the officer made derogatory comments. Maroofian hinted the relentless threats and limitations on her work could lead to drastic measures such as suicide. "As long as I'm alive, I will write and stay in my country," the reporter wrote. Maroofian was arrested for the second time on July 8, 2023, after being summoned to the Evin Prosecutor's Office in Tehran. Four days prior, on July 4, 2023, security forces conducted a raid at Maroofian's residence in Tehran, during which they seized several personal items, including her mobile phone and laptop. Maroofian experienced a brief respite from confinement when she was released from prison on August 13, 2023, after enduring five weeks behind bars. Unfortunately, she was once again apprehended merely two days later, on August 15, 2023, marking her third arrest. She was released on bail 24 hours later. On September 1, 2023, Maroofian was unjustly rearrested for the fourth time, facing charges of "propaganda against the system" and "spreading false news". Presiding over the court, Judge Iman Afashari finds Maroofian guilty of "spreading propaganda against the regime." As a result, Maroofian received a sentence of one year of imprisonment and a fine of 15 million tomans. In a powerful act of defiance, Maroofian initiates a dry hunger strike to protest against the blatant violation of her rights. On September 10, 2023, authorities released Maroofian on bail following her fourth arrest within ten months. On October 10, 2023, Maroofian took to social media to share images of her bruised face, alleging that she endured 13 days of torture while being held in Sulaymaniyah prison.
On November 1, 2022, Maral Darafarin, a freelance journalist, was arrested in her hometown of Lahijan in Gilan province, HRANA reported.
On November 10, 2022, police forces arrested Fatemeh Nasser Ranjbar, the public relations officer of Digikala. On December 12, 2022, Ranjbar was released after posting bail.
On November 15, 2022, Saba Abdollahi was arrested as part of the national uprising in response to the murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl from Saqez, by the morality police in Tehran. Abdollahi was released on December 5, 2022, after 21 days in prison.
On November 16, 2022, Iranian security forces arrested Iranian journalist Fahimeh Nazari. Nazari is a freelance reporter who covers local politics and history for numerous newspapers and magazines. According to HRANA, she was arrested in her office in Tehran.
On November 27, 2022, Maryam Vahidian, a freelance reporter contributing to Shargh Daily, was arrested from her home in Tehran in the evening, according to reports from HRANA and Shargh Daily. Vahidian had been reporting on labor issues and the country’s workers’ movement. Her laptop, phone, and other personal devices were confiscated. She was released after one month in custody. On April 15, 2023, Vahidian was summoned to appear in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court.
On November 27, 2022, Iranian security forces also arrested Nastaran Farokheh at her home. They confiscated her laptop and phone, as well as the phones of her family members, Shargh said on its website. The reason for the arrest is not clear yet. She has since been released on bail.
On December 17, 2022, Ziba Omidifar was arrested in Qorveh and was transferred to the Sanandaj Revolutionary Guard Intelligence. Omidifar, reporter of Kurdpress News Agency in Qorveh, was taken to Kausar Hospital in Sanandaj by IRGC security forces on the morning of December 24, 2023, a week after being arrested and transferred to the detention center of IRGC Intelligence Organization in Sanandaj. According to informed sources, this Kurdish journalist was tortured and harassed during a week of detention, and her level of consciousness decreased drastically. According to hospital personnel, Ziba Omidifar should be immediately returned to the detention center after initial treatment.
On December 18, 2022, according to HRANA, security forces arrested the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reporter Maryam Ghannad in Tehran and detained her in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. An informed source close to her family told HRANA that she was once allowed a short call informing her family that she is held in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. The reason for her arrest and the charges are still unknown. Ghannad has since been released on bail.
On January 10, 2023, it was reported that journalist Nasim Sultan Beygi was arrested at Tehran’s international airport while attempting to flee the country. She was then transferred to an undisclosed location. Accusations against the journalist were not revealed. Beygi was later released on bail after a month of detention. On April 27, 2023 she was summoned at Evin's Moghaddasi Courthouse on charges of "propaganda against the system." Once again, on July 3, 2023, Beygi was summoned to court to confront the identical charges levied against her. On July 31, 2023, Beygi received a prison sentence of four years and three months for reporting on social media and on charges of "assembly and collusion" and propagating against the Islamic Republic.
On January 22, 2023, it was reported that writer and journalist, Saeideh Shafiei was arrested by the security forces in her personal home in Tehran and taken to an unknown place. There is no information about the reasons for her arrest and the arresting body. Shafiei was later released on bail. According to HRANA, on April 27, 2023, the journalist was summoned to Evin's Moghaddasi Courthouse. She was given five days to prepare her defense. On July 3, 2023, Shafiei found herself once again summoned to confront baseless charges lodged against her. On July 31, 2023, Shafiei received a prison sentence of three-and-a-half-years for reporting on social media and on charges of "assembly and collusion" and propagating against the Islamic Republic. On March 1, 2024, Shafiei's sentence was suspended. However, on September 6, 2024, she commenced serving her three-and-a-half-year prison term at Evin prison, despite persistent health issues. In addition, she is subject to further penalties, including a two-year prohibition on joining political and social organizations and a two-year restriction on travel. On the same day, January 22, 2023, authorities in the Islamic Republic detained another journalist named Melika Hashemi after summoning her for "explanations." Hashemi worked for Shahr or City news agency. Mehrnoosh Zarei Henzaki, a Tehrani journalist, was also arrested on the morning of January 22 in her personal home in Tehran and transferred to Evin prison. There is no information about the reasons for her arrest. On February 15, 2023, Henzaki was released from Evin prison. On April 27, 2023, she was asked to appear at Evin's Moghaddasi Courthouse within five days to present her défense. On July 3, 2023, Henzaki was once again subjected to trial at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, facing charges of "propaganda" and "national security." On July 31, 2023, Henzaki was acquitted of all charges against her.
On March 15, 2023, journalist Sepideh Qolian was immediately re-arrested hours after being released from Evin prison where she served four years behind bars.
On April 11, 2023, journalist and prominent human rights defender, Golrokh Iraee, was handed six-year prison sentence by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The charges against her included "gathering and colluding against national security" and "producing propaganda against the state." Additionally, she was handed a one-year prison term. In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a two-year travel ban, a prohibition on residing in Tehran, and a two-year ban on participating in political and social groups. The verdict was primarily based on her involvement in protests and her social media posts concerning protesters who were either arrested or killed during the demonstrations that commenced in September 2022. Iraee made an announcement on June 19, 2023, stating that she will not seek a pardon. She firmly believes that she has been targeted solely because of her journalism and human rights advocacy. Additionally, she declared that she will not participate in the court of appeals proceedings as she does not acknowledge the revolutionary court as a competent or impartial judicial entity.
On June 7, 2023, Atena Farghadani, an award-winning artist, was taken into custody at Evin Prison in Tehran after posting a satirical political cartoon on her Instagram account. Farghadani had responded to a summons to appear at the prison's courthouse before her arrest. It remains unclear why she was summoned and subsequently arrested, and whether any formal charges have been filed against her. Farghadani was later released on bail. On April 14, 2024, Farghadani was arrested yet again by intelligence officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In an account shared by the artist with her husband during his prison visit the following week, she recounted being taken to an undisclosed location and brutally beaten until she lost consciousness. Refusing trial in defiance of her mistreatment and asserting that she had not committed any crime, Farghadani also rejected the legitimacy of the Revolutionary Court. Subsequently, on June 21, 2024, the 26th Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced Farghadani to six years in prison for attempting to display one of her political cartoons near the presidential palace in Tehran. She was handed five years for "insulting the sacred" and one year for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”
On August 4, 2023, Kurdish journalist Pakhshan Azizi was arrested by Iranian Intelligence authorities in Tehran's Kharazi town. Initially held in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a facility known for housing detainees of the Iranian Intelligence Service, Azizi was later transferred to the women's ward on December 11, 2023. On July 16, 2024, it was disclosed that Azizi had not been allowed to communicate with her family for the preceding 14 days by prison officials.
On August 17, 2023, the General Intelligence Office of Gilan Province, affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Corps intelligence organization, released a statement announcing the arrest of 12 people. Among the arrested were journalists Jelveh Javaheri, Elaheh Asgari, and photojournalist Matin Yazdani. The report claims the arrested allegedly planned to disrupt security.
On September 2, 2023, journalist Negin Bagheri was sentenced to a three-year partly suspended prison term for charges of "conspiracy and collusion." She will serve approximately one month in prison.
On December 20, 2023, Sara Massoumi, a former reporter for the reformist news outlet Etemad, received a six-month prison sentence for a social media post she made in October. The post in question related to the death of a 16-year-old teenager named Armita Geravand. On October 1, 2023, Geravand entered a subway car in Tehran and disappeared moments later. She subsequently fell into a coma, and on October 28, 2023, state television reported that she had passed away due to brain damage.
On April 14, 2024, student journalist Dina Ghalibaf was transferred to the women's ward of Evin Prison on Saturday after the completion of her interrogations. She was arrested for non-compliance with the mandatory hijab requirement. Subsequently, she was detained on two more occasions and reportedly faced sexual assault and other abuses at the hands of the morality police.
"We know that all political prisoners, specifically journalists, undergo physical and mental torture in the Islamic Republic's prisons. We're worried, terrified, to be accurate, for their safety," says N.L.
Iran, which stood as the worst jailer of women journalists according to our data even before Mahsa’s death triggered unrest, now has a staggering number of 40 women journalists and media workers incarcerated. In a country where women in the media are in the minority, this is a significant number and we feel the crackdown on women journalists is particularly linked to their gender and reporting. These arrests continue despite the fact that most journalists (and activists) are also in hiding.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom stand in solidarity with Iranian women and women journalists in their fierce and relentless fight for freedom. We are in awe of their unwavering fearlessness and fortitude. The magnitude of their courage inspires us to continue reporting with boldness and tirelessly in seeking justice and truth. We condemn all acts of violence and censorship towards these brave journalists and their work. Free press is the cornerstone of the progress of a country and the backbone of democracy. Without it, no civilization can thrive and as a result withstand the test of time.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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