Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi Accused of 'Collaboration with America'

After seven months of uncertainty in temporary detention, the judiciary finally announced the charges against Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi as 'collaboration with the hostile government of America, conspiracy and collusion to commit crimes against national security, and propaganda activities against the regime.' Masoud Setayesh, spokesperson for the judiciary, stated on Wednesday, April 25, that the charges against these two imprisoned journalists were serious. Niloufar Hamedi, a reporter for Shargh newspaper, and Elahe Mohammadi, a reporter for Ham-Mihan newspaper, were arrested and imprisoned following their coverage of the news related to the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the morality police. Over the past seven months, the managers of Shargh and Ham-Mihan newspapers have repeatedly emphasized the innocence of these two journalists, stating that they were merely fulfilling their professional and journalistic duties. Hundreds of journalists and civil activists have also demanded their release in open letters, a request that has been met with silence from judicial authorities each time. The International Federation of Journalists also called for the release of Keyvan Samimi and other imprisoned journalists in Iran in a statement on Tuesday, April 24. Keyvan Samimi, head of the Association for the Defense of Press Freedom, was arrested again on April 20, just three months after his release from prison. Critical journalists in Iran have repeatedly faced arrest and security pressures from the Islamic Republic government. According to the International Federation of Journalists, there are currently 18 journalists imprisoned in Iran. Following widespread protests over the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police, security forces arrested numerous journalists. The number of arrests increased to such an extent that the Committee to Protect Journalists named Iran as the 'largest prison for journalists in the world' in its annual report last winter.