Iran frees Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, jailed for covering Mahsa Amini death
BBC NewsJan 29
Iran Frees Journalists Jailed for Covering Mahsa Amini's Death
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The Facts
Iranian state-run media reported on Sunday that journalists Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi — who were sentenced in October 2022 for covering Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini's death in custody — have been temporarily released on bail.
The Tehran Revolutionary Court previously found Mohammadi and Hamedi guilty of multiple security charges, including having links with the US government. While the duo awaits their appeal verdict, they are banned from leaving the country.
The Spin
Anti-Iran narrative
It's outrageous that Hamedi and Mohammadi's bail amount — $200K each — equals what an average person in the country would earn in a century, based on Iran's estimated GDP per capita. Furthermore, Iran is yet to release dozens of journalists put behind bars for covering human rights abuses, as Tehran unwaveringly seeks to silence not only dissent, but also information about it.
Pro-Iran narrative
One must never forget that Hamedi and Mohammadi conspired and colluded with organizations hostile to the Islamic Republic to incite people to riots and violence with disinformation under the guise of journalism. They acted as American assets in Iran and rightly belonged in jail. Hopefully, it won't be long until they are back behind bars.
