Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 06:56 pm
Tehran, Iran: The prison sentences of two Iranian women journalists, Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, have been trimmed, as an appeals court acquitted them of collaborating with the United States. The trimming comes after their first sentences, in which extremely long prison terms were handed out, stemmed from their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini, which further led to countrywide protests back in September 2022.
Initial Sentences and Charges
Mohammadi, 37, and Hamedi, 31, had originally been sentenced to six and seven years, respectively, on charges of circulating propaganda against the Islamic Republic and collusion against state security. Both journalists had been detained for more than a year in Tehran’s Evin prison before their release on bail on Sunday. The sentences, to be served concurrently, would be upheld by the appeal court.
Possibility of Amnesty
Their lawyers are hopeful the reporters could be freed under an amnesty announced last year by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Since the rest of the charges fall within the framework of the conditions of the 2023 amnesty decree, the case will be closed, and Elaheh Mohammadi will be pardoned,” Mohammadi’s attorney Shahab Mirlohi told the newspaper Ham Mihan. Hamedi’s attorney said they also hold out hope of a similar outcome under the amnesty.
Background and Arrests
Mohammadi is a reporter who worked for Ham Mihan and was detained after reporting the funeral of Amini at Saqez that turned into a protest.
Impact of Mahsa Amini’s Death
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in detention after her arrest for allegedly breaching Iran’s strict dress code on women. It then triggered months of sweeping protests across Iran that led to multiple deaths and thousands of arrests. Iranian authorities called the protests “foreign-instigated riots.”
Awaiting Further Development
The legal teams of Mohammadi and Hamedi, along with their supporters, are more hopeful, for what is going on might bring them out any time. Such an amnesty could mean closure in their litigation processes and a way out of this highly charged case.
