Robert Malley Responds to the Trial of Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi: Journalism is Not a Crime

Robert Malley, the U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, on Thursday, June 1, reposted a series of tweets from the Persian account of the U.S. State Department regarding the 'sham trial' of Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, stating, 'Journalism is not a crime.' He urged Iranian officials to 'stop imprisoning journalists like Elaheh and Niloufar solely for doing their jobs.' The Persian Twitter account of the U.S. State Department had reacted to the 'sham trial' of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi on Wednesday. According to this series of tweets, 'The sham trial of Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, which is considered fabricated, ended on Wednesday after these two journalists spent nearly nine months in detention without access to their lawyers, and during this week's sham trial, defense attorneys were not allowed to speak on their behalf.' Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department rejected the Iranian regime's accusations against Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi of 'collaborating with the U.S.' On June 22, Matthew Miller, in response to a question from a Voice of America reporter regarding the case of these two imprisoned journalists, said, 'In relation to this specific question, we reject these accusations. They are clearly untrue.' Mr. Miller also added, 'I should note that throughout the protests, Iranian officials have repeatedly violated the civil rights of Iranians and punished them for what constitutes basic individual freedoms. This includes not only members of the Iranian community who took to the streets to protest but also journalists in the country.' Additionally, Reporters Without Borders condemned the sham trials of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi in a statement released on Tuesday, stating that these two journalists should be immediately released instead of facing potential condemnation. The first court hearing regarding the charges against Elaheh Mohammadi was held on Monday, June 29, in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Salavati. Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi were among the journalists arrested by the Iranian security forces early in the nationwide protests for reporting on the circumstances of Mahsa Amini's death in the custody of the morality police and her funeral. Arash Keykhosravi, a lawyer, stated that the Revolutionary Court does not have jurisdiction over press cases. A Guardian report highlighted the brutal crackdown on female journalists in Iran, noting that 40% of them were women. The 'trial' of imprisoned journalists began; Elaheh Mohammadi's lawyer stated that attorneys were not allowed to speak. The trial of two journalists and two political activists was held behind closed doors. The Journalists' Syndicate called for a 'fair and public trial' for Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi. The demand for a public trial for Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi has become a public demand, provoking anger from Kayhan. In response to Voice of America, the United States rejected the Iranian regime's claims regarding Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi. After months of waiting, the court case of Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi has finally commenced.