Three Female Journalists Imprisoned in Iran Win UNESCO Press Freedom Prize

Niloufar Hamedi, Elahe Mohammadi, and Narges Mohammadi have been recognized as this year's winners of the UNESCO International Press Freedom Prize known as the "Guillermo Cano" award. Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, stated in a statement that now more than ever, it is important to pay tribute to all female journalists who are prevented from performing their duties and face threats and attacks on their safety. She added, "We commend their commitment to finding the truth and accountability." Zainab Salbi, the Iraqi-born chair of the international jury of media experts at UNESCO, said, "We honor the brave activities of Iranian female journalists as their reporting led to a historic revolution led by women. They have paid a heavy price for their commitment to reporting and conveying the truth." Ms. Salbi emphasized that their voices must continue to be reflected around the world until these journalists are freed and safe. The jury for the UNESCO International Press Freedom Prize consists of six independent members representing various media, including digital media from each of the six regions defined by UNESCO. These individuals are appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO for a three-year term, which can be renewed once. This year's winners of the "Guillermo Cano" award include Niloufar Hamedi, a journalist for Shargh newspaper, who reported the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police and has been imprisoned for over two hundred and twenty days. Elahe Mohammadi works for Ham-Mihan newspaper and focuses on social issues and gender equality. She reported on Mahsa Amini's funeral and has also been in prison since September. Ms. Mohammadi had previously been barred from reporting for a year due to her journalistic work. Mohammad Hossein Ajarloo, Niloufar Hamedi's husband, reported the transfer of these two from Qarchak prison to the women's section of Evin prison. These two journalists have also jointly received the International "Press Freedom" award from the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and the "Lion" award from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi have also made it to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in 2023. Narges Mohammadi has worked for several newspapers in Iran for years as a journalist and is also a writer and vice president of the Center for Human Rights Defenders in Tehran. She is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in Evin but continues to report from prison and has interviewed female prisoners, documenting them in her book titled "White Torture." Narges Mohammadi won the "Courage" award from Reporters Without Borders in 2022. Another Iranian winner of the UNESCO International Press Freedom Prize is Ahmad Zeidabadi, who won this award in 2011. He was arrested during the widespread crackdowns following the controversial presidential election in Iran in 2009 and was sentenced to six years in prison, five years of exile, and a permanent ban on civil activities after a sham trial on charges of attempting to overthrow the regime. UNESCO's description of this year's press freedom awards to three imprisoned female journalists in Iran states that female journalists and media workers around the world are increasingly attacked in both the real world and cyberspace and are exposed to threats and gender-based violence. UNESCO says it collaborates with its partners to identify and implement appropriate methods and provide practical tools to combat these attacks against female journalists, as recognized in multiple United Nations resolutions. UNESCO is also the coordinator of the United Nations action plan regarding the safety of journalists and their protection from impunity, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year with a global conference in Vienna, Austria. The $25,000 "UNESCO-Guillermo Cano" award was established in 1997 and annually honors individuals, organizations, or entities that have made significant contributions to defending and promoting press freedom worldwide. This award is named in memory of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in December 1986 in front of his newspaper office "El Espectador" in Bogotá, Colombia, by a drug cartel. The UNESCO International Press Freedom Awards ceremony will be held on the evening of May 2 in New York. Continued pressure on the media community in the country; three female journalists summoned to court. Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi accused of "collaborating with the U.S." 200 days of detention for the crime of informing; Ham-Mihan: journalists are not spies. Continued uncertainty for Elahe Mohammadi; defense attorney denied access to the legal case. Niloufar Hamedi, Elahe Mohammadi, and Shervin Hajipour listed among Time magazine's influential figures.