Reactions to Prison Sentences for 'Truth Tellers': The Islamic Republic Will Not See the Next Six to Seven Years

The sentencing of Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, two journalists who reported on the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the Guidance Patrol, has sparked widespread reactions. Mohammad Hossein Ajurlou, Niloufar Hamedi's husband, wrote on the messaging platform X: "After 13 months of case fabrication, a cruel sentence has been issued. Niloufar Hamedi was informed of her sentence on her birthday, precisely when she was on her way to the meeting hall. This must be the conclusion of the case fabricators' actions." He also emphasized in another message: "Truth tellers have been sentenced to 25 years in prison." Saeed Parsaee, Elahe Mohammadi's husband, described the sentences for the two journalists as "a total of 25 years for honor." Mona Barzooei, a poet and songwriter who was also arrested during the widespread protests following Mahsa Amini's death, reacted to these sentences by writing: "Do you know anyone in this country who has acted with honor and commitment in their profession and has not been limited, marginalized, or condemned?" She referred to previous arrests and suppression of activists and journalists, stating: "Have the most honorable journalists, lawyers, environmental activists, elites, professors, writers, and artists been appreciated?" Leili Bazargan, an opposition journalist, also noted the sentences for Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, which are seven and six years respectively, emphasizing: "The Islamic Republic will not see the next six to seven years. Stay safe, daughters of Iran!" Tanaz Kolahchian, a lawyer, stated: "There is a court called Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court that seems to take pride in issuing heavy and unjust sentences. I can confidently say that there is no will or thought behind the drafting of these sentences other than a copy of the workflow of the investigative team." She expressed hope that "one day the oppressor will be caught in their own oppression." Additionally, the Tehran Journalists' Association expressed deep regret in a statement regarding the preliminary sentences for Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, stating that this professional organization has "repeatedly attempted through correspondence with senior officials and meetings with judicial and executive authorities over the past year to create grounds for their acquittal and freedom," but the issuance of these sentences "reflects the difficult status of professional journalism in Iran." The statement emphasized that the "events that occurred" after Mahsa Amini's death and the "bitter incidents that followed were due to the wrong policies of the Guidance Patrol, for which the country has incurred heavy costs." This professional organization also questioned, "Why should journalists be punished for the wrong policies of the Guidance Patrol?" The sentences issued for these two journalists, based on charges such as "collaboration with a hostile government, conspiracy and collusion to commit a crime against national security, and propaganda against the regime," were deemed "problematic" by legal experts. The Tehran Journalists' Association emphasized that it "opposes this ruling" and "does not accept it," expressing hope that this ruling will be overturned in the appellate court and that Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi will be "freed as soon as possible." According to the Media Center of the Judiciary, Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Niloufar Hamedi to 13 years in prison, of which seven years are enforceable. The court also sentenced Elahe Mohammadi to 12 years in prison, of which six years are enforceable. Saeedeh Fathi Abadi, a journalist, previously told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic does not even adhere to its own laws regarding Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi. The Committee to Protect Journalists has named the Islamic Republic of Iran as the "worst jailer of journalists in the world" in 2022. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, in response to the Persian section of Voice of America, categorically rejected the allegations by the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Organization regarding the two journalists receiving training in the U.S. The spokesperson for the Judiciary denied the "acquittal" of Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi from the charge of collaborating with a hostile country. About 200 journalists have called for the release of Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi. The sister of Elahe Mohammadi, a jailed journalist, stated: "It has now been exactly a year since our hands have been separated." Nazila Maroufian, after leaving Iran, said: "I was threatened with 'death' by the Ministry of Intelligence."