Iranian Court Sentences Two Journalists to Prison for Alleged Collaboration with US Following Coverage of Mahsa Amini's Death

Journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who highlighted the death of Mahsa Amini, sparking mass protests, face potential seven and six year sentences for charges including 'collaborating with the hostile American government' but can appeal the preliminary sentencing within 20 days.

Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, both Iranian journalists, have been sentenced to seven and six years in prison respectively by an Iranian court for their alleged collaboration with the United States. This preliminary sentencing comes in the wake of their coverage of Mahsa Amini's death in 2022 while she was under police custody.
The journalists have been accused of charges including 'collaborating with the hostile American government,' 'colluding against national security' and 'propaganda against the system.' The judiciary's decision can be contested within a statutory period of 20 days.
Hamedi and Mohammadi, who worked for Shargh and Ham-Mihan newspapers, respectively, were arrested in September 2022. They had reported on Amini's ill-treatment for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely and her subsequent funeral, which triggered widespread protests across Iran.
Both journalists were awarded the United Nations' premier prize for press freedom in May 2023, for their commitment to truth and accountability. The arrest of nearly 100 other journalists during ensuing protests has been met with widespread international criticism.
The crackdown on protests following Amini's death has been marked by violence, with reports of at least 529 people killed and over 19,700 detained according to Human Rights activists in Iran. The Iranian government has not provided comprehensive casualty or detention figures.