Nazila Maroufian Released on Bail: 'Do Not Accept Slavery, You Deserve the Best'

Nazila Maroufian, a journalist who was re-arrested in July, was released from Evin Prison on Sunday after posting bail. Maroufian, a political prisoner, was detained and imprisoned by security forces for interviewing the father of Mahsa Amini. Immediately after her release, she shared a picture of herself without a headscarf on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) right in front of the prison. In her post, she quoted a line from 'one of the books she read in Ward 209 of Evin Prison,' stating: 'You deserve the best things, so do not accept slavery.' After receiving a two-year suspended sentence, Maroufian disregarded the Islamic Republic's mandatory hijab law by posting a picture without a headscarf on social media. Last November, she was arrested after interviewing Amjad Amini, the father of Mahsa Amini, and was sentenced to two years in prison, a fine of 15 million tomans, and a five-year travel ban. The human rights organization Hengaw reported her arrest on Saturday, July 17, after she appeared at Evin Prosecutor's Office. Earlier in August, Maroufian tweeted that security agents had raided her home in Tehran, confiscating her personal belongings and instructing her to report to Evin Prosecutor's Office on Saturday. Following her arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement condemning the action and called for her 'unconditional' release. Iranian security and judicial officials have faced severe criticism from the international community for their treatment of journalists, with reports indicating that at least 95 journalists were arrested following the protests over Mahsa Amini last year. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Iran was recognized as the 'worst jail for journalists in the world' in 2022.