Two Iranian Journalists sentenced to jail in connection with Mahsa Amini protest cases

TEHRAN, Iran : Two women journalists in Iran have been handed initial prison terms on charges related to national security in connection with the Mahsa Amini protests.

Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, both journalists, found themselves in custody in September 2022, mere days after widespread protests erupted throughout Iran, triggered by the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Their legal proceedings commenced in late May.

The official news outlet of the Iranian judiciary announced on Sunday that Hamedi and Mohammadi have been given initial prison sentences, with Hamedi receiving a seven-year term for “cooperating with the hostile government of the United States,” and Mohammadi receiving a six-year sentence for the same offense. They were also both sentenced to five years in prison for “collusion to commit crimes against the country’s security” and an additional one-year sentence for “propaganda against the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

If the sentences remain unchanged, both women will only need to serve the longer of the two sentences, which is seven years for Hamedi and six years for Mohammadi.