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06-05-2023
TEHRAN: Mahsa Amini’s name made headlines around the world when she died in custody last September, sparking waves of protests in Iran but not many people have heard of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi.
The two female journalists helped break the story of Amini’s death and have been detained in two of Iran’s most notorious prisons ever since.
On Tuesday, they and the imprisoned Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi were awarded the 2023 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize by the United Nations’ cultural agency, Unesco.
“They paid a hefty price for their commitment to report on and convey the truth. And for that, we are committed to honouring them and ensuring their voices will continue to echo worldwide until they are safe and free,” said Zainab Salbi, the jury chair.
Mahsa Amini died in hospital in Tehran on 16 September, three days after she was detained by morality police in the capital for allegedly failing to wear her headscarf “properly”.
Witnesses said the 22-year Kurdish woman had been beaten while in custody, but authorities denied she was mistreated and instead blamed “sudden heart failure” for her death.
After being informed of her death at the hospital, Amini’s father and grandmother hugged each other.
Niloufar Hamedi, a 30-year-old journalist with the Sharq newspaper, took a photograph of that moment of grief and posted it on her Twitter account. Alongside it, she wrote: “The black dress of mourning has become our national flag.”
Two days later, Elaheh Mohammadi, a 35-year-old reporter with the Hammihan newspaper, published a story about Amini’s funeral in her hometown of Saqqez, in the western province of Kurdistan.
Mohammadi began her article, which was headlined “A homeland of grief”, with a quote from Amini’s father: “Mahsa had no underlying health conditions. Whoever says that is lying.”
Mohammadi went on to describe how almost 1,000 men and women attended the funeral.
“The mourners cried out, ‘Woman, life, freedom,'” she reported. These words would later be heard at protests across the country.
On Amini’s grave was written: “You won’t die. Your name will become a symbol.”
It foretold the events that would shake Iran in the days and months to follow.
Security forces also raided Elaheh Mohammadi’s home at the same time, seizing her electronic devices. On 29 September, she too was arrested.
Both Ms Hamedi and Ms Mohammadi were already known for hard-hitting news reports and coverage of human rights issues. (Int’l News Desk)
