Niloofar Hamedi

Extra Bio Info:

Niloofar Hamedi was imprisoned for reporting on religious freedom conditions.

On September 22, 2022, authorities raided the home of Hamedi and arrested her in relation to her reporting on the hospitalization and death of Mahsa Amini. Amini's death at the hands of morality police for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly sparked nationwide protests opposing the state's policy of mandatory religious veiling. Hamedi was one of the first journalists to cover Amini's story and published a photo of her parents hugging in the hospital that spread rapidly online. Hamedi has been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement.

On October 28, 2022, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and the intelligence agency of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard accused Hamedi and another journalist of planning to orchestrate nationwide protests with their reporting as agents of foreign intelligence agencies.

In November 2022, a government official revealed that Hamedi had been charged with "colluding with the intention of acting against national security and propaganda against the state."

On May 30, 2023, the judiciary began Hamedi's trial.

In October 2023, it was reported that the Tehran Revolutionary Court had sentenced Hamedi to seven years in prison for "collaborating with the hostile U.S.," five years in prison for "acting against national security," and one year in prison for "propaganda against the regime." Following appeal, Hamedi would serve seven years in prison as the sentences run concurrently.

Hamedi had previously reported on another woman arrested for allegedly wearing improper hijab.

On January 14, 2024, Hamedi was granted temporary release from Evin Prison on bail pending an appeal for her sentence. Iranian state media reports that she is barred from leaving the country. 

Related Cases: Mahsa Amini, Sepideh Rashnu, Elaheh Mohammadi