Response of Elahe Mohammadi's Husband to Judiciary Media Documentary; 'They Have Issued the Final Ruling Instead of the Appeals Judge'

Saeed Parsaee, the husband of Elahe Mohammadi, a detained journalist from the Ham-Mihan newspaper, has expressed his objections to a documentary aired by the Mizan News Agency on his account on the 'X' network, stating that not a single admissible document was presented in this film. This documentary, titled 'Informer', was broadcast by Mizan, a media outlet affiliated with the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic, against detained journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi. The documentary was aired immediately after Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court issued the verdict in the case of these two journalists, sentencing them to a total of 25 years in prison, of which 13 years is 'enforceable'. Mr. Parsaee stated that the Judiciary's media, by airing this documentary, not only questioned the principles of handling judicial cases and the two-stage verdict issuance system in the Judiciary but also attempted to convey to the public that the ruling was '100% correct' and 'final'. He further stated, 'How can we expect the appeals court to handle the case with impartiality?' Elahe Mohammadi's husband mentioned that the documentary used 'private content' from the mobile phones of Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, as well as audio files and their virtual conversations, and that they were published 'in a fragmented and biased manner'. Saeed Parsaee noted that since the defenses of Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi and their lawyers were not reflected in this documentary, they are obliged under press law to publish the responses sent to them. He also rejected the connection of Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi with the organization 'Alliance for Iran', which was mentioned in the documentary, emphasizing that they have repeatedly denied collaborating with this organization in their defenses, and the documentary did not provide any evidence of this connection. Elahe Mohammadi's husband stated that despite the insistence of the families, the trial of these two journalists was held in private. He added, 'If there was an obligation for the trial to be private, what justification do they have for broadcasting the matters discussed in the court sessions unilaterally?' Saeed Parsaee mentioned that since the beginning of the detention of Ms. Mohammadi and Hamedi, individuals in state media have accused them of espionage, and he stated that they will file complaints against all these individuals. Elahe Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi were arrested during last year's nationwide protests for covering the news of the death of Mahsa Amini in custody of the 'Guidance Patrol' and were accused of 'collaborating with an enemy state', an accusation that has always been denied by both of them and their lawyers. Elahe Mohammadi was sentenced to 6 years in prison for 'collaborating with the enemy state of America', 5 years for 'gathering and colluding to commit a crime against national security', and 1 year for 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran'. The International Federation of Journalists condemned the prison sentences for Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi. Amnesty International called for the immediate release of imprisoned journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi. The UN Special Rapporteur urged the Islamic Republic to stop the widespread harassment of human rights defenders and journalists. The announced sentences for the case are: Niloufar Hamedi; 13 years in prison, 7 years of which are enforceable | Elahe Mohammadi; 12 years in prison, 6 years of which are enforceable.