Political Guardian of Niloufar Hamedi: After 295 Days in Prison, She Has Committed No Offense and Must Be Released

Anika Kloza, a member of the German Parliament and political guardian of Niloufar Hamedi, stated that after 295 days of imprisonment, this Iranian journalist has committed no offense, violated no laws, and must be released. On July 13, in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, she said: "I demand the immediate release of Niloufar and all other political prisoners in Iran. Niloufar was merely doing her professional job as a journalist, which included publishing images of Mahsa Amini. She has committed no offense and it is absolutely wrong to imprison her. Niloufar must be released quickly." Kloza discussed the latest actions taken regarding Hamedi, saying: "Since Niloufar's imprisonment, we have contacted the Iranian embassy several times to request her release, but Iranian officials have never responded to our requests." She added: "I know that Niloufar has been moved between several prisons, but fortunately she is now in the general ward and has been out of solitary confinement for several months. She is currently in Evin prison, and her trial has begun. I heard she was able to meet with her lawyer, but only one day before the court. Her trial does not meet international standards, which is another issue because such practices are not common in Iran. I am worried about the court, but as far as I have heard, Niloufar is doing well." Recently, news about the verdict of Tomaj Salehi, whose political guardian is also a member of the German Parliament, was published. Anika Kloza expressed her relief that the death penalty was not imposed on Tomaj Salehi, saying: "I am very glad that Tomaj did not receive the death penalty; we can breathe a sigh of relief, but six years in prison and the fact that he is still imprisoned is unacceptable. He, like Niloufar, should be released immediately; they do not belong in prison and should not have been imprisoned. Niloufar was only doing her professional job as a journalist, and I hope there is no death sentence in her case, although the judge in her case is known for issuing death sentences. I am very concerned about this, but on the other hand, I hope the authorities do the right thing and release her." Kloza confirmed that even according to journalistic standards in Iran, Niloufar Hamedi has committed no offense and has not violated any laws, stating: "Niloufar only published photos of Mahsa - Zhina - Amini, and even according to Iranian laws, she has not violated any laws. What the Iranian regime is doing is instilling fear among the people, and for this reason, they want to imprison anyone associated with the protests or issue heavier sentences. Niloufar Hamedi was not even present at the protests; she only published photos, which is a professional journalistic act, and this kind of treatment towards her is infuriating." Kloza responded to the question of whether there will be efforts to better introduce Niloufar Hamedi to the UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding committee, saying: "If an opportunity arises, I will definitely do this. The issue is that Niloufar's case is public, and she is one of the prisoners that many people know. But for reassurance, I will certainly speak to this committee about Niloufar." Kloza added: "But what is much more important is that there are many political prisoners in Iran about whom no one has any news or information. Those who, unlike Niloufar and Tomaj, are not known. I think we should all focus on raising awareness about the situation of all of them so that everyone knows what has happened to them, and others like Niloufar have supporters. I believe it is very important to pay attention to those who no one has even heard of." Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi were among the journalists who were arrested by the Islamic Republic's security agencies at the beginning of the nationwide protests in Iran for reporting on the circumstances of Mahsa Amini's death in custody and her funeral. The U.S. State Department has called for the immediate release of "all political prisoners" in Iran.