The United States honored Iranian journalists on World Press Freedom Day for their dedication to reporting despite the regime’s efforts to silence them. The US Department of State recognized Elahe Mohammadi, Niloufar Hamedi, and Nazila Maroufian for their courage in bringing awareness to the Iranian people despite facing significant challenges such as imprisonment and sexual assault.
Mohammadi and Hamedi were previously detained for their reporting on the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police in 2022. After temporary detention and receiving long prison sentences, their bail was eventually converted by the Tehran Appeals Court, leading to their release. Maroufian has also faced numerous arrests since the 2022 uprising and was subjected to sexual assault by regime forces, contributing to the Me Too movement’s fight against sexual abuse and assault of women.
Despite their release, these journalists continue to face challenges as they are targeted by the Iranian government for publishing pictures without mandatory hijab. The UN has condemned Iran’s crackdown on Islamic dress code as “gender apartheid” against women and girls. Reporters Without Borders has criticized Iran for its harsh treatment of journalists with at least 23 currently imprisoned in the country. Iran ranks 176th out of 180 countries alongside nations like North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria, and Eritrea for its treatment of journalists.
The latest 2023 Freedom to Write Index released by PEN America highlights that Iran remains the second highest country for imprisoning writers globally following only China. This ranking remains consistent with last year’s report, emphasizing the urgent need for press freedom in Iran where journalists face significant challenges including harassment, censorship, and even imprisonment or death.
