Incident
Iran: journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi are sentenced to 13 and 12 years
Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, who broke the story of Mahsa Amini's death in police custody, were sentenced to 13 and 12 years respectively on national-security-linked charges tied to their reporting, and later released on heavy bail.123
What happened
Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, two Iranian journalists, were sentenced to 13 and 12 years in prison respectively on charges linked to their reporting on the September 2022 hospitalization and death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman held by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the country's mandatory dress code. Hamedi's reporting for the newspaper Shargh and Mohammadi's for the newspaper Ham-Mihan had helped bring the case to national and international attention, contributing to protests that spread across Iran in the months that followed. After spending almost sixteen months in detention, the two journalists were granted bail of about 10 billion tomans, roughly 200,000 dollars, in January 2024, but were also barred from leaving the country. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for the release of all jailed Iranian journalists following the bail decision.123
Hamedi and Mohammadi were released on bail in January 2024 after almost sixteen months in detention, but remained barred from leaving Iran.3
What reason was given
Stated justificationNot stated in the sources reviewed as specific named charges; the source describes their sentences as "linked to their reporting" on Amini's death and the protests that followed.123
What changed for reporting
Two journalists whose reporting had helped expose a death in police custody spent nearly sixteen months in detention and received sentences of 12 and 13 years before being released on heavy bail with a travel ban.123
Timeline
2024
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Ebrahim Raisi | other | President of Iran |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Ham-Mihan | outlet | affected |
| Shargh | outlet | affected |
| Elahe Mohammadi | journalist, Ham-Mihan | affected |
| Niloofar Hamedi | journalist, Shargh | affected |
Sources
- CPJ calls for release of all jailed Iranian journalists after bail granted to Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi
- Iran sentences women journalists on charges over Amini protests
- Iran sentences 2 journalists for allegedly collaborating with U.S.
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- Hamedi and Mohammadi were sentenced to 13 and 12 years respectively on charges linked to their reporting on Amini's death.
sentenced to serve 13- and 12-years respectively on charges linked to their reporting
CPJ calls for release of all jailed Iranian journalists after bail granted to Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2024-01-17.Claim 594, checked 2026-09-22. - The journalists had reported on the 2022 hospitalization and death of Mahsa Amini, held in morality police custody over the dress code.
the 2022 hospitalization and subsequent death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, who was in morality police custody for allegedly violating Iran's conservative dress law
CPJ calls for release of all jailed Iranian journalists after bail granted to Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2024-01-17.Claim 595, checked 2026-09-22. - The two journalists were granted bail of about 10 billion tomans after almost sixteen months in detention, and barred from leaving the country.
had to pay bail of 10 billion tomans
CPJ calls for release of all jailed Iranian journalists after bail granted to Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2024-01-17.Claim 596, checked 2026-09-22.