Sara Masoumi, Critical Journalist, Sentenced to Imprisonment and Fine

Sara Masoumi, a critical journalist, announced her conviction to 6 months in prison, a fine of 15 million tomans, and a two-year ban from journalism. This ruling was issued by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court on the charge of "spreading false information". According to Ali Mojtahedzadeh, the lawyer for this journalist, the basis for this accusation was a "report from the authorities" and "the publication of a tweet about Armita Garavand". Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old student, lost consciousness after entering a subway car without a mandatory hijab and died after a month in a coma. The Iranian government has prevented independent journalists from reporting on the situation of this teenager by controlling all news channels. In an interview with 'Shahrvand' network, Ali Mojtahedzadeh criticized the issued ruling and called for the head of the judiciary to intervene in the case and "prevent the violation of journalists' rights". He emphasized that "the ruling against Sara Masoumi based on just one tweet is certainly unacceptable" and stated in protest against the issuance of this ruling: "If a journalist is to endure such imprisonment for a tweet, then freedom of expression cannot be said to exist in the country." Ali Mojtahedzadeh also criticized the "derogatory tone and sarcastic remarks" of the Revolutionary Court judge during the proceedings, calling for a "serious review" of it by senior judiciary officials. According to the latest report from Reporters Without Borders on media freedom published on May 2, 2023, Iran ranks 177th out of 180 countries worldwide. The Tehran prosecutor has filed charges against Sadegh Zibakalam, two journalists, and a Telegram channel. Pressure on journalists in Iran; Hadi Kasai-Zadeh was arrested. Four journalists were summoned, and two media managers were found guilty in Iran. The International Federation of Journalists: Sultan Ali Abedi, a jailed journalist, should be released immediately.