Exclusive; Political Guardian of Elahe Mohammadi: I Am Amazed by Her Power and That of Iranian Women

The political guardian of Elahe Mohammadi, a jailed journalist, called for her release in an exclusive interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, stating that Iranian authorities have not responded to her requests regarding Mohammadi. Heidi Reischink also sent a message to Mohammadi urging her not to lose hope, saying: "I am amazed by the power of this woman and other women in Iran." In the interview on July 20, Reischink discussed Mohammadi's situation, stating: "I believe the regime in Iran wants to assert its power. Elahe Mohammadi was one of the first to report on the killing of Mahsa Amini and has done nothing wrong; she was just doing her professional work. The report was about Mahsa's story, who was killed by the regime, and they did not want this story to be shared with the public." Reischink added: "I can hardly express my astonishment and the incredibility of this situation. I know the regime in Iran has many flaws, but the fact that they imprisoned her, do not allow her to see her family, and put her in front of a judge known for issuing heavy sentences has made me very worried about her. Because she has only done her job and reported on Mahsa Amini's death. The whole thing is unbelievable. That is why they want to show that anyone who tries to reveal what this regime does will face consequences, whether imprisonment or worse sentences." She told Mohammadi not to lose hope, emphasizing her admiration for the strength of women in Iran. Reischink continued: "I was one of the first to advocate for political guardianship in Germany, and since then, I have been active in this area. I have been informed that Elahe Mohammadi is aware that she has a political guardian. Fortunately, we have been able to inform about this and involve several countries. However, we also have the problem in Germany of not having precise and close information. Next week, we will have another wave on social media to mention her name and create pressure for her release. I have written to the Islamic Republic's embassy twice so far, requesting her release or at least better conditions for her to access medication, treatment, family, and a lawyer, and we have emphasized again that she has done nothing wrong and should be released. When her case judge was identified, I wrote another letter stating that justice and fairness should be upheld in her case. But all we know about Elahe is what is reported about her." When asked if Iranian officials had responded to her requests, Reischink said: "They have not responded to our letters and requests at all. We wrote to them in English and German, and received no reply. Despite that, I continue to write letters and send my requests because they can no longer say they were unaware or that nothing reached them. So we will continue, and we are also pressuring the German Foreign Minister to take action for those trapped in prison. I know they are doing this, but there are other steps they can take. We do not want this tragedy to be forgotten because we know that people are still imprisoned, tortured, and killed, and we know that when something is not in the media, people forget it because there are many tragic events in this world that still need attention." Reischink referred to the latest report of the fact-finding committee regarding the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests in Geneva, stating: "I and several colleagues in the party are in a committee in the German Parliament that works on foreign policy and human rights, and my work focuses on family-related policies, but I wanted to take on the responsibility of this political guardianship because my field of study has been the Middle East, and I have worked with refugees from Iran and Afghanistan, so it was important for me to be active in this. But our political activity in this area is focused on ensuring that individuals' rights are preserved and that the regime cannot evade responsibility again." In conclusion, when asked what message she would send to Elahe Mohammadi, Reischink said: "I tell Elahe not to lose hope; I am amazed by the power of this woman and other women in Iran. The current conditions seem very hard and bad, and there may even be a feeling that there is no way out, but I am sure that not only I but many others in several other parliaments and those who have learned about her case are defending and supporting her, saying that she has not been treated correctly and this should end. I hope she does not lose hope. No matter how hard the conditions are, she should know that many are working to free her and get her out of there."