Lawyers Announce Closure of Cases Against Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi

The cases of two journalists who were imprisoned for months due to their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini and faced heavy judicial sentences have reportedly been 'closed,' according to their lawyers. The case of Niloufar Hamedi, a detained journalist, was declared closed on Tuesday, February 23, based on a definitive ruling from the Tehran Court of Appeals. According to domestic media reports, Niloufar Hamedi, who was accused of 'collaborating with a hostile foreign government' for reporting on Mahsa Amini's death while in the custody of the Guidance Patrol, has been acquitted of the charges after months of effort, and her case has been closed. Her lawyers stated that based on the definitive ruling from the Tehran Court of Appeals, she has been acquitted of the charge of 'collaborating with a hostile foreign government' and has been pardoned regarding other charges. Shahaab Mirloohi, lawyer for Elahe Mohammadi, also stated that his client has been pardoned and her case has been closed. The United States government has repeatedly denied any connection or collaboration with these journalists and described the issuance of such sentences as an attempt by the Islamic Republic to suppress freedom of expression in Iran. This journalist spent 17 months in detention and was ultimately temporarily released from prison on January 13, 2024, on a bail of 10 billion tomans. However, the fate of her case remained uncertain until the Tehran Court of Appeals ruled to acquit her of one of the main charges and granted her a pardon regarding other matters. Niloufar Hamedi was arrested on September 22, 2022, following the death of Mahsa Amini and was sentenced to 7 years in prison for 'collaborating with a hostile government,' 5 years for 'gathering and colluding against national security,' and 1 year for 'propaganda against the regime.' Elahe Mohammadi was arrested on October 29, 2022, after covering Mahsa Amini's funeral in Saqqez and spent 17 months in prison. Thirteen months after her temporary arrest, she was tried in the 15th branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran on charges of 'collaborating with the hostile foreign government of the United States,' 'gathering and colluding to commit a crime against national security,' and 'propaganda against the regime,' and was sentenced to 6, 5, and 1 year in prison, respectively, totaling 12 years for these charges. The situation of Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, two 'co-defendant' journalists arrested for reporting on Mahsa Amini's death while in the custody of the Guidance Patrol, has been monitored for months by human rights organizations. Niloufar Hamedi was a reporter for the Shargh newspaper who reported on Mahsa Amini's condition and published photos from the hospital where Mahsa was being treated. Elahe Mohammadi also went to Saqqez on behalf of the Ham-Mihan newspaper and reported on Mahsa Amini's funeral and burial. Previously, the spokesperson for the judiciary of the Islamic Republic claimed that Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi had requested a pardon on November 1 of this year. According to reports from Iranian news agencies, Asghar Jahangir stated, 'These two journalists made a request for pardon and assistance in a letter, in which they committed to not engaging in any actions contrary to the laws and regulations of the country. They also committed to adhere to written and ethical obligations.' The spokesperson for the judiciary said in a press conference today regarding this matter: 'Considering that these two have served part of their sentence, the head of the judiciary ordered their letter to be referred to the pardon commission for review and legal proceedings.' Earlier, in late October, the lawyers of these two journalists had reported the issuance of a notification for the execution of their prison sentences, which faced widespread reactions. By November 1, more than 33,000 people had supported a petition to halt the execution of the 5-year prison sentence for Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi. According to a letter published on the 'K Campaign' website, which calls itself an 'independent signature collection platform,' artists, journalists, and social activists requested the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, to stop the execution of the 5-year prison sentence for Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi. These two journalists, who were arrested for reporting on Mahsa Amini's death while in the custody of the Guidance Patrol, were temporarily released from Evin Prison on bail after spending approximately 400 days. Meanwhile, Shargh newspaper reported on Tuesday that Rouhollah Nakhaei, a jailed journalist, has also been pardoned and released from prison. The claim of the judiciary spokesperson regarding the 'request for pardon' by Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi has been met with criticism from human rights organizations, stating that the suppression of women, dissenters, and minorities in Iran continues. The judiciary has announced that it is reviewing the 'request for pardon' from Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi. The United States has called for an 'end to the impunity of those responsible for crimes against journalists.'