In the wake of nationwide protests that swept Iran in 2022-2023, three journalists, Saeedeh Shafiei, Mehrnoush Zarei Hanzaki, and Nasim Soltanbeigi, have been summoned to Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, an informed source said on Wednesday.
Shafiei, Hanzaki, and Soltanbeigi, who have been active in the media scene in Tehran, were detained amid the upheaval. They have been charged with “propaganda against the state” and “assembly and collusion,” and are scheduled to stand trial on July 3, 2023.Saeedeh Shafiei, an independent journalist and writer, was arrested by security forces at her residence on January 22, 2023, before being temporarily released on bail of 500 million tomans until her trial on March 9, 2023.
Mehrnoush Zarei Hanzaki, a journalist for multiple news agencies such as ILNA, ISNA, Chelcheragh, and ANA, was detained by Tehran security forces on February 12, 2023. She was transferred to the IRGC Intelligence’s detention center in Evin Prison, Ward 2A, where she suffered from severe migraines and was denied access to her medication. Hanzaki was released in mid-February 2023.
Nasim Soltanbeigi, a former student activist and journalist, was taken into custody by IRGC intelligence officers at the airport on January 11, 2023, and transported to Evin prison. She was released on bail temporarily on February 3, 2023, until her trial concluded.
Hoda and Zahra Towhidi
Following a temporary detention period of nearly three months, they were released on bail on December 17, 2022. Zahra and Hoda Towhidi were later sentenced to a year’s imprisonment by the Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court on charges of “assembly and collusion against the system” and “propaganda against the state.”
This latest development signifies a continued crackdown on press freedom in Iran, as the nation grapples with growing internal turmoil and discontent, echoed in the wave of protests that swept across the country last year. As the trial date draws near, the world watches with bated breath, hoping for justice to prevail.
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