Iran's judiciary has brought charges against another prominent journalist. The reporter Nilufar Hamedi of the newspaper "Shargh" had to appear on Tuesday for a trial before a revolutionary court in the capital Tehran, as her husband Mohammed Hussein Adjarlu reported on Twitter. The 30-year-old journalist was arrested more than eight months ago at the beginning of the protests against the leadership of the Islamic Republic. It was only on Monday that the trial against the journalist Elaheh Mohammadi of the newspaper "Hammihan" began.
The two women were among the first to report on the death of the young Kurdish Jina Mahsa Amini last fall, which then triggered a massive wave of protests in Iran. They are accused of cooperation with foreign intelligence services, as well as propaganda against the state. Their newspapers vehemently deny the allegations. Hamedi also defended herself in court against the accusations, as her husband reported. The trials are not public.
Criticism of the procedure
Hamedi had published a photo in mid-September that went around the world. It depicts a hug from Amini's parents in a hospital shortly after their daughter's death. Morality guards had forcibly arrested the young woman because of an allegedly ill-fitting headscarf. She fell into a coma and died a short time later. Her death sparked the most serious protests in Iran in decades. The state cracked down on it with extreme severity.
In the newspaper "Hammihan", Mohammadi's lawyer Shahab Mirlohi criticized the proceedings. The defense did not get enough time to prepare. In addition, he was not allowed to be heard at the start. Lawyers also criticized the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Court, which is involved in matters of national security. They demanded a trial before a criminal court, which should also be public.
High penalties are possible
There is great concern that the women will receive harsh punishments. The trial will take place before a notorious revolutionary court in Tehran. If the journalists are found guilty of espionage, a death sentence could follow. Propaganda against the state provides for a prison sentence of several years. So far, no details of the indictment are known. At the beginning of May, Unesco had awarded both women their Press Freedom Prize in absentia.
A look at data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York shows how vehemently the state took action against the media during the protests. Accordingly, almost 100 media representatives were arrested. Most of them are now free on bail again.