Niloufar Hamedi's Husband Reports; She Is Denied Access to a Lawyer

Mohammad Hossein Ajarloo, the husband of imprisoned journalist Niloufar Hamedi, wrote in an Instagram post that "Niloufar has submitted a written request to meet with her lawyers in recent weeks, but they have not responded to this request." Ajarloo criticized the head of the judiciary, stating that he is trying to prove that his institution is working quickly by "listing various numbers," but "it is unclear why they do not want to address Niloufar's case." The husband of this imprisoned journalist believes that the judiciary is waiting for "Niloufar Hamedi's name to be forgotten" because, according to his claim, "Niloufar has submitted a written request to meet with her lawyers in recent weeks, but they have not responded to this request." Niloufar Hamedi, an imprisoned journalist, was arrested on Wednesday, September 30, after publishing a photo and report about Mahsa Amini and her family. After a while, the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Organization, two security branches of the Islamic Republic, labeled Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, another arrested journalist from the Ham-Mihan newspaper, as "trained agents" of foreign services and accused them of "disturbing public opinion and propaganda against the regime." Last week, the U.S. permanent representative to the UN Human Rights Council called for the "immediate release" of Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi during the fifty-third session of the council. According to Michelle Taylor, the United States stands with all imprisoned journalists worldwide, including Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, who are punished solely for telling the truth. She emphasized that freedom of expression is vital for transparent and responsible governance and helps build inclusive and prosperous societies. Michelle Taylor further condemned the increased surveillance, soft attacks, and retaliatory actions against journalists and media figures. Robert Malley, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, also tweeted on Thursday, June 11, sharing a thread from the Persian account of the U.S. State Department regarding the "sham trial" of Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, stating, "Journalism is not a crime."