Iranian Journalists Sentenced to Over a Decade in Prison for Reporting Mahsa Amini's Death, Sparking Nationwide Protests Pardoned

Two Iranian journalists, who faced lengthy prison sentences for exposing the death and abuse of Mahsa Amini while in police custody, have been pardoned by Iran's supreme leader.

The Tuesday decision comes on the 46th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi were sentenced back in October 2023 to 13 and 12 years in prison by an Iranian Revolutionary Court. Their coverage of Amini's death in the custody of Iran's morality police in 2022 inspired nationwide protests. These protests marked one of the largest uprisings since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, as reported by Reuters.

Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, was arrested in Tehran for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code. She was allegedly severely beaten while in custody, and witnesses said she collapsed after just 26 minutes at a detention facility.

Iranian officials have denied any wrongdoing and attributed her death to pre-existing medical conditions. However, international human rights organizations say otherwise. A United Nations fact-finding mission determined that Amini was subjected to physical violence in custody, which led to her death, according to a March 2024 article by the BBC.

"Following the approval by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of a list of pardons prepared by the judiciary's head, these individuals were pardoned," Iranian judiciary outlet Mizan reported.

The pardon clears them of charges, including "colluding against national security" and "propaganda against the regime." Both journalists had been temporarily released after serving 17 months in prison and were acquitted of accusations of "collaboration with the U.S." by an appeal court.

Amini's death led to mass demonstrations, with women burning their hijabs while demanding justice and greater freedoms. The UN reported Iranian police used "disproportionate lethal force," resulting in the deaths of more than 500 demonstrators. Iranian authorities blamed foreign interference for instigating the unrest, which was denied by the US.