Embrace in the pain of mourning. A photograph of the parents of young Amini, who was killed by Eton police because she wore a headscarf incorrectly, went around the world and sparked violent protests in Iran. Journalist Nilufar Hamedi plucked up the courage to post a photo of herself in mid-September on social media.

Countless women have similar experiences with the notorious police, but the details of their arrests are rarely made public. However, the death of a young Amini from Iran’s Kurdish regions sparked the biggest protests in the country in decades. At the same time, another young journalist, Elaheh Mohammadi, also reported on Amini in her hometown of Saches and wrote about the funeral, which was attended by thousands of people. The protests then start to spread like wildfire and Amini becomes the symbol of the protest.

They are accused as enemies of the state

Six days after her death, security forces raid Hamedi’s house. Mohammadi is arrested a week later. Relatives hope that they will be released soon, but in vain. Intelligence agencies consider journalists “foreign agents”.

Now began his ambiguous tests. The journalists have been in detention for more than eight months. Hamedi is 30 years old and is described by colleagues as a kind woman who just does her job. He works for the popular newspaper Sharh, which regularly publishes critical articles. At the same time, 36-year-old Mohammadi has been writing a column in the newspaper Hammihan for many years and writes about women’s rights.

Both outlets deny the accusations against the two journalists. After the wave of protests, “the atmosphere just got bad,” says a well-known Tehran media journalist who asked not to be named. According to him, the pressure has become much greater.

Violence and repression

The scale of government crackdown on media workers during the protests can be seen from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York. Almost 100 journalists were detained.most of whom have since been released on bail.

Their family members are also under pressure, with journalists across the country calling for public trials. There is great concern that women will be given harsh sentences behind closed doors. The trials will take place in Tehran’s notorious revolutionary court, whose president, Abbolghasem Salavati, has a reputation for being a particularly strict and harsh judge.

The case of the two journalists attracted the attention of many international media. However, while Nilufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi are in the notorious Evin prisons, in early May, UNESCO awarded the two women a Press Freedom Award for their courageous work. “It is more important than ever to recognize all women journalists who are being hindered,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, explaining the reasons behind the decision.

Source: Deutsche Welle.