TIMELINE: Sepideh Qolian -The Journalist Who Refused to Be Silenced by Iran's Regime

Freelance journalist Sepideh Qolian has experienced torture, unjust imprisonment, and constant legal harassment from the Iranian regime for daring to report and speak out.

At just 23 years old, Qolian was arrested and detained for reporting on a labor protest at the Haft Tappeh sugar factory. She endured unimaginable torture at the hands of Iran's intelligence services for a grueling 30 days before being released on bail. 

After receiving amnesty for her five-year sentence in March 2023, she was re-arrested and imprisoned for another two years in July 2023. She was sentenced to a further 15 months in prison in August 2023.

What sets Sepideh apart is her determination to shed light on the injustices she faced. During her temporary release from Sepidar Prison, she courageously documented her experiences before being re-arrested and transferred to Iran's infamous Evin Prison. 

Her unwavering commitment to exposing the truth has made her case distinct and brought attention to Iran's widespread human rights abuses.

CFWIJ has been closely monitoring Qolian’s persecution. The following timeline provides a detailed recap of major events.

2023

August 22

The Journalist receives a further 15-month prison sentence due to a complaint brought by pro-regime reporter and Qolian’s interrogator Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour. The court session is conducted in secret due to Qolian's refusal to wear the mandatory hijab.

July 19

The trial brought by Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour against Qolian is postponed, as the journalist refuses to wear hijab in court

July 14

Qolian’s two-year prison sentence is upheld for "insulting the supreme leader." She faces additional penalties, including a smartphone ban and participating in social or political groups. She now faces further charges filed by her interrogator, Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour. The journalist is now accused of "spreading lies in cyberspace" and engaging in "propaganda activity against the Islamic Republic in cyberspace."

May 6

Qolian is sentenced by branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to two years in prison for chanting a slogan against the Supreme Leader.

March 15

The journalist is released from Evin prison after serving three years of her five-year sentence. In a general amnesty announced by the Iranian judiciary on 4 February 2023, many prisoners, including human rights defenders, are freed to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Hours after her release, Qolian is violently rearrested in Arak, Markazi province.Phones belonging to her family members are confiscated during the incident.

2022

March 2

Qolian is denied furlough after testing positive for COVID-19 in Evin prison on 1 March 2022. She experiences high temperature, body aches, diarrhea, kidney aches, and nausea for 15 days. Despite her family's request for a medical furlough, prison authorities do not respond. Qolian is moved to the quarantine ward without proper medical care.

2021

August 19

Qolian granted medical leave from Bushehr prison due to COVID-19. Gholian uses the opportunity to share approximately 20 instances of harsh mistreatment and abuse inflicted upon female inmates in Bushehr prison, which she describes as a "neglected nightmare" on social media and in interviews with Prague-based Radio Farda of USAGM.

August 13

Qolian’s lawyer announces on his Twitter account that the journalist had tested positive for COVID-19 in Bushehr prison on 6 August 2021. He requests a medical furlough for Qolian.

July 19

Qolian is physically assaulted and receives death threats from eight prisoners in Bushehr prison. Despite the presence of security guards, they refuse to intervene. She spends the night in the prison yard in fear. Sepideh requests an investigation. Prison authorities issue no response.

March 10

Qolian is unexpectedly moved from the women's ward of Evin Prison to Bushehr Prison in Iran. No reason for the transfer is provided. Bushehr Prison is situated over 600km away from Dezful, where Gholian's parents reside.

2020

August 17

The journalist and activist is cleared of the extra accusation of "disrupting public order" concerning her involvement in the November 2019 protests as of 17 August 2020.

July 29

IranWire publishes the prison memoirs of Gholian. The book Tilapia Sucks the Blood of Hur al-Azim exposes the brutality of the Iranian prison system and highlights the stories of women inmates. The book serves as a call to action and a testament to the strength of women in Iran.

June 21

Qolian begins serving her five-year sentence in Qarchak prison.

June 16

In a courthouse of Evin prison, Qolian is told to write a letter to the Supreme Leader to request a pardon. They inform her that she must serve her five-year sentence within days if she won't. Qolian dismisses the offer, insisting on her innocence. All other activists that are initially detained with Qolian are granted amnesty in May 2020.

2019

December 26

Qolian sues state broadcaster IRIB over airing of The Burnt Plan documentary. The journalist claims it spread false information and defames her. IRIB was cleared of charges. In response, IRIB sues Gholian for spreading anti-regime propaganda and fake news.

December 14

Branch 36 of the Appeals Court in Tehran reduces Sepideh Qolian's initial sentence of 19 and a half years to a five-year imprisonment term. Qolian and eight activists are each sentenced to five years. They are charged with “assembly and collusion against national security.” According to the Center For Human Rights in Iran, they are not allowed to defend themselves.

November

The journalist is rearrested during protests in Iran in November. Though released on bail after a day, she faces new charges of planning and colluding against national security and disrupting public order.

October 26

After going on a hunger strike to protest the harsh conditions in Qarchak prison, Qolian is released on bail.

September 7

Qolian receives a 19-year and 6-month sentence for her involvement with the Haft-Tapeh Syndicate, participation in a 2018 protest, and charges including acting against national security, belonging to an illegal online group, spreading propaganda, and publishing false news.

January 20

Iran's Intelligence Ministry agents detain Qolian and Bakhshi in Shush, Khuzestan Province, in response to publicly speaking about their torture during previous detentions.

January 19

State TV (IRIB) airs a documentary, The Burnt Plan, in which Qolian and Bakshi are seen "confessing" to collaborating with US politicians and external Marxist and Communist factions to orchestrate worker strikes intending to overthrow the political system in Iran. Both claimed confessions were coerced and were extracted through torture and mistreatment.

January 9

Qolian shares a comprehensive account of her arrest experiences in Shush and Ahvaz on social media. She describes enduring daily interrogations, torture, and sexual insults, being accused of inappropriate relationships, and receiving threats to her family and life.

2018

December

After being granted bail in mid-December, Sepideh Gholian and Esmail Bakhshi detail the torture they endured at the hands of the security police and intelligence officials in Shush and Ahvaz.

November 18

Sepideh Qolian, activist Esmail Bakshi, and others are arrested and detained for their involvement in reporting on a peaceful workers protest in Shush, Khuzestan. Thousands of Haft Tappeh sugar cane industrial complex workers protest unpaid wages.