International Federation of Journalists: Release Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi

Ten months after the arrest of Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, the International Federation of Journalists issued a statement calling for the release of these two journalists. The president of the International Federation of Journalists described the 'imprisonment' of journalists for performing their professional duties as 'alarming' and urged Iranian authorities to drop the charges against Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi. In the statement on Friday, August 6, Dominique Pradalie emphasized the 'baseless' nature of the accusations against the two journalists, asserting that 'journalism is not a crime.' Recently, Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi defended their professional conduct in covering the news related to the death of Mahsa Amini during a closed court session. Security and judicial authorities have accused Niloufar Hamedi, a journalist for Shargh, and Elahe Mohammadi, a journalist for Ham-Mihan, of 'collaborating with a hostile government (the U.S.),' 'conspiracy against national security,' and 'propaganda against the regime.' Both journalists have denied all charges and called on officials to listen to the 'voices of the people' they represent. U.S. officials have also rejected the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC's accusations of training these two journalists in the U.S. The International Federation of Journalists, in its statement, called for the release of all imprisoned journalists. According to media rights organizations, at least 95 journalists, including 24 female journalists, were detained during last year's nationwide protests in Iran. In the lead-up to the anniversary of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini's death, the wave of arrests of critics and journalists has intensified in recent weeks. According to the latest report from Reporters Without Borders, Iran ranks 177th out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom, with only Vietnam, China, and North Korea ranking worse. Reporters Without Borders has described the state of press freedom in Iran as 'alarming' and labeled the Islamic Republic as 'one of the most repressive governments in the world.'