Iranian Journalists Jailed over Amini Coverage Released on Bail

Two Iranian women journalists jailed for their coverage of the September 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini were released on January 14 after spending nearly a year and a half behind bars.

Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi were granted temporary release on $200,000 bail pending an appeal of their sentences, the judiciary said.

The pair left Tehran’s Evin amidst a joyous outpouring of support from friends, colleagues and activists.

News of their release, accompanied by celebratory pictures and videos on social media, sparked a wave of joy across the country. 

The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Mohammadi and Hamedi in October to 12 and 13 years in prison, respectively, on charges including collaborating with the US government, colluding to commit crimes against national security, and engaging in propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic. 

On January 15, the main pages of Hamamihan and Shargh newspapers, where the journalists were working before their arrests, featured photographs capturing the moment Mohammadi and Hamidi were released from prison. 

The papers ran headlines proclaiming "The Good Day of Freedom" and "Niloofar and Elahe have arrived." 

While welcoming their temporary release, the Journalist Association of Tehran province voiced criticism against the hefty bail imposed on the journalists. 

In a statement, the association expressed hope that the severe sentences handed down to them will be overturned on appeal.

Mahsa Amini’s father, Amjad, congratulated Mohammadi and Hamedi, saying, "The news of your release, after 400 days of suffering in prison and being away from your family, brought joy to all of us."

Iran’s former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, an exiled opposition figure, called for the release of all political prisoners.

"I welcome the release of two courageous journalists, Mrs. Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, after 16 months of unjust imprisonment, extend my congratulations to their families, and express my hopes for the release of all political prisoners held captive by the regime," he wrote on the social media platform X.

Sherif Mansour of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said that the two journalists’ convictions “are a travesty and serve as a stark testament to the erosion of freedom of speech and the desperate attempts of the Iranian government to criminalize journalism.”