World Press Freedom Day was marked by the United States paying tribute to Iranian journalists who are enduring severe pressure from the government. Iran has been labeled as the second worst country in the world for imprisoning writers. In a statement on the Farsi account of the US Department of State on X social network, Washington lauded the bravery of journalists like Niloufar Hamedi, Elahe Mohammadi, and Nazila Maroufian. These journalists, despite facing adversity, play a vital role in raising awareness among Iranians and are greatly admired.
Both Mohammadi and Hamedi were previously detained for their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police in 2022, leading to widespread protests. Although they were sentenced to long prison terms after temporary detention, the Tehran Appeals Court later converted their bail, resulting in their release. Nazila Maroufian, on the other hand, has faced multiple arrests since the 2022 uprising and was subjected to sexual assault by regime forces as part of Iran’s Me Too movement highlighting systematic sexual abuse and assault against women.
Despite their release, the journalists still face challenges, with a new case opened against them for publishing pictures without the mandatory hijab. Iran’s crackdown on the Islamic dress code has been escalating, drawing criticism from the UN, which has termed it ‘gender apartheid’ against Iranian women and girls. Reporters Without Borders criticized Iran for its harsh treatment of the press, noting that at least 23 journalists are currently imprisoned in the country, ranking Iran 176th out of 180 countries, alongside notorious nations like North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria, and Eritrea.
According to the latest Freedom to Write Index released by PEN America in 2023, Iran remains the second highest country for imprisoning writers, behind only China. This ranking is consistent with last year’s report, reflecting the ongoing challenges faced by journalists in Iran.