JINA MAHSA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.
In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan. Zendagi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali
And also
Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jhina Mahsa Amini or Zhina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the start of the Zan, Zendagi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran  2022
and the latest news about the 'Women Live Freedom' Revolution per month in 2023:
November 13 - 4 -- November 5 - 1 -- October 31 - 16 -- October 15 - 1 -- September 30 - 16 -- September 17 - 1 --August 31 - 18 -- August 15 - 1-- July 31 - 16 --June 15-1--May 31 -16-- May 15-1--April--March--Feb--Jan
And
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When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

Manijeh Moazen
Hengaw Organisation for Human Right - Nov 9 2023
<<Journalist and translator Manijeh Moazen, a colleague of Echo Iran and Tejarat Farda Weekly, was arrested by the Iranian security forces.
According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, Manijeh Moazen, a journalist and translator from Kerman and a resident of Tehran, was arrested by the Iranian security forces and taken to an unknown location. A well-informed source told Hengaw that the Iranian Intelligence Department forces have visited the office and her workplace in Echo Iran Media as an agent of the Civil Registration Department and arrested her. Before arresting Ms. Moazen, these forces raided and searched her house, and confiscated some of her personal belongings. So far, the precise information about the reasons for the arrest, the charges brought against Manijeh Moazen, as well as her fate and whereabouts have not been made available. It should be mentioned that Manijeh Moazen works as a translator and journalist with Echo Iran media and Tejarat Farda weekly.>>
Source:
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/tehran-journalist-and-translator-manijeh-moazen-arrested

Iranwire - Nov 8 2023
<<Another Journalist Arrested in Iran; Reason Unknown
Iranian authorities have arrested journalist and translator Manijeh Moazen amid an intensifying clampdown on the media. Shargh newspaper confirmed the arrest on November 8. The reason and the institution behind it are not yet known. Iranian authorities have arrested dozens of journalists since the eruption of nationwide protests in September 2022. Many have been released on bail while awaiting trial or summonses to serve multiyear sentences. According to reports, Ehsan Badaghi, a correspondent for the Faraz news website, and environment journalist Elaheh Mousavi have been summoned by the judiciary in recent days. Last month, Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, urged the Islamic Republic to <stop the widespread persecution> of journalists and activists after two reporters were sentenced to a combined 25 years in prison.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/journalism-is-not-a-crime/122315-another-journalist-arrested-in-iran-reason-unknown/

Iranwire - Nov 8 2023
<<Another Journalist Arrested in Iran; Reason Unknown
Iranian authorities have arrested journalist and translator Manijeh Moazen amid an intensifying clampdown on the media. Shargh newspaper confirmed the arrest on November 8. The reason and the institution behind it are not yet known. Iranian authorities have arrested dozens of journalists since the eruption of nationwide protests in September 2022. Many have been released on bail while awaiting trial or summonses to serve multiyear sentences. According to reports, Ehsan Badaghi, a correspondent for the Faraz news website, and environment journalist Elaheh Mousavi have been summoned by the judiciary in recent days. Last month, Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, urged the Islamic Republic to <stop the widespread persecution> of journalists and activists after two reporters were sentenced to a combined 25 years in prison.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/journalism-is-not-a-crime/122315-another-journalist-arrested-in-iran-reason-unknown/


Sadeeda Shafiei
JINHA - Womens news agency - Nov 8 2023
<<Supreme Court of Iran rejects Saeeda Shafiei's request for retrial
News Center- Iranian journalist Sadeeda Shafiei was sentenced to four years and three months in prison in July 2023 for participating in the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Women, Life, Freedom) protests. She announced on her Instagram that her request for retrial has been rejected by the Supreme Court of Iran. Saeeda Shafiei is a storyteller, an economics journalist and a graduate of <Agricultural Economics> from Allamah Tabatabai University in Tehran and <Energy Economics and Marketing of Hydrocarbon Resources> from Islamic Azad University in Tehran. She came in 3rd place in the Azad University graduate entrance exam. Saeeda Shafiei was detained and arrested by intelligence forces at her home in Tehran last year and transferred to Ward 2 A of Evin prison. She was temporarily released on bail the same year. In July 2023, she was sentenced to four years and three months in prison on charges of <propaganda against the regime> and <association and collusion>. She has been banned from membership in political and social groups and from travelling abroad for two years>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/supreme-court-of-iran-rejects-saeeda-shafiei-s-request-for-retrial-34119?page=1

Jinas' parents grieving in the hospital hallway

 
Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi 
Iranwire - 23 Oct 2023 - by PAYAM YOUNESIPOUR
<<International Sports Press Body Halfheartedly Condemns Jailing Iranian Journalists
The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has condemned the sentencing of two Iranian journalists to a total of 25 years in prison. <We cannot accept this condemnation because true journalism is not a crime,> the AIPS said in a statement on October 22. <This must be clear and we ask all colleagues to mobilize to defend our freedom of expression.> The 15th branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Abulqasem Salavati, sentenced journalists Elahe Mohammadi to 12 years in prison and Niloofar Hamedi to 13 years in prison, on October 22. Hamedi and Mohammadi are being held at Tehran's Evin Prison. They are accused of collaborating with the <hostile> government of the United States, <colluding to commit crimes against national security,> and engaging in <propaganda activities against the system.> Adding to the severity of the punishment, they were also barred from engaging in journalism, as well as social and political activities for two years. Before her arrest, Hamedi captured an image of Mahsa Amini's parents embracing each other at a Tehran hospital while their daughter was in a coma, and shared the photo on Twitter. Mohammadi wrote a report on Mahsa's funeral titled <A Nation in Mourning.> <There is no reason to keep them in jail with these fake accusations,> the AIPS statement added. <As always we ask for the release of Niloofar and Elaheh because they were doing only their honest work,> it added.
The AIPS has issued 12 reports and news articles about the detention of Hamedi and her colleagues Elahe Mohammadi, Aria Jafari, Ehsan Pirbornash and Saeedeh Fathi. The Association of Journalists and Sports Photographers of Iran (Isja) remained conspicuously silent in response to the preliminary verdict issued for Hamedi, a fellow member of the association, as well as the AIPS statement. Abdulhamid Ahmadi, Isja president and a member of the board of directors of the AIPS, also failed to make any public statements. Ahmadi has served as Isja president for more than three decades and also joined the AIPS board without any previous professional experience as a journalist. His record also includes instances of intimidation directed toward Iranian sports journalists. Since the arrest of Hamedi and other journalists, including sports journalists, IranWire has repeatedly called for a response from the AIPS head, Gianni Merlo, on the official silence from Isja and Abdulhamid Ahmadi on the arrests and similar cases. The association has been asked about the progress made in securing the release and determining the status of these journalists.
Merlo's responses have been vague and non-committal.
He has sometimes offered general statements like, <The Iranian association is actively pursuing this matter,> or <We are in discussion with the Iranian authorities.> But Merlo has never provided a clear response regarding the actions taken by Abdulhamid Ahmadi to secure the freedom and determine the status of Hamedi. In one instance, in November 2022, in response to IranWire's inquiry about why the association of sports journalists in Iran had not spoken out against these arrests and repressions, Merlo stated, <There is no silence; we will have an online meeting next week to discuss this.> However, a year has passed, and the outcome of the online meeting has not been disclosed by the association. Furthermore, the influence of government-affiliated individuals within the AIPS has raised suspicions among journalists in Iran. They believe that government elements within these institutions may be obstructing the practical efforts of these international associations to assist Iranian journalists.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/journalism-is-not-a-crime/121828-international-sports-press-body-halfheartedly-condemns-jailing-iranian-journalists/

Iranwire - Oct 23 2023
<<UN Special Rapporteur Says Iran <Must Stop> Persecuting Journalists as Two Reporters Jailed
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders has called on the Islamic Republic to stop the widespread persecution of journalists and activists after two reporters were sentenced to a combined 25 years in prison. <Disturbed by Iran's sentencing of journalists Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi to 12 and 13 years and lawyer Saleh Nikbakht to 1 year, for their work on Mahsa Amini's case, which sparked protests in 2022,> said Mary Lawlor on X, formerly known as Twitter, on October 23. <Iran must stop the widespread persecution of human rights defenders and journalists,> she added. The two journalists had been detained for covering the death of Mahsa Amini and its aftermath. Hamedi and Mohammadi are being held at Tehran's Evin Prison. They are accused of collaborating with the <hostile> government of the United States, colluding to commit crimes against national security, and engaging in propaganda activities against the regime. Before her arrest, Hamedi captured an image of Amini's parents embracing each other at a Tehran hospital while their daughter was in a coma, and shared the photo on Twitter. Mohammadi wrote a report on Mahsa's funeral titled <A Nation in Mourning.> The 15th branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Abulqasem Salavati, sentenced Mohammadi to 12 years in prison and Hamedi to 13 years in prison on October 22. Adding to the severity of the punishment, they were also barred from engaging in journalism, as well as social and political activities for two years. Meanwhile, an Iranian court on October 17 sentenced the legal representative of Mahsa Amini's family to one year in prison for <propaganda activity> against the Islamic Republic. The France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network said that Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolution Court of Tehran also banned Saleh Nikbakht from online activities for a period of two years. Nikbakht, 72, was put on trial over interviews he gave to domestic and foreign media, in which he criticized the government's handling of Mahsa Amini's death and its aftermath. The Ministry of Intelligence, the plaintiff in the case, alleged he had pushed the Amini family to seek legal redress for Mahsa's death in police custody in September last year. On September 19, Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals in Tehran province sentenced two other women journalists, Saeedeh Shafiei and Nasim Sultanbeigi, to more than four years in prison each. Shafiei and Sultanbeigi received three-year and six-month prison sentences on the charge of <assembly and collusion.> Shafiei and Sultanbeigi were initially sentenced to three years and seven months on the charge of <assembly and collusion.> According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a media freedom NGO, Iranian authorities have arrested at least 95 journalists since Amini's death in September 2022. Many have been released on bail while awaiting trial or summonses to serve multi-year sentences.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/121806-un-special-rapporteur-says-iran-must-stop-persecuting-journalists-as-two-reporters-jailed/


MOHAMMADI - HAMEDI
<Champions of Truth.>
<Freedom for them! >
Iranwire - 23 Oct 2023 - by ROGHIYEH REZAEI
<<Iranians Outraged at Brutal Jail Terms for Mahsa Amini Journalists
The initial verdict for detained journalists Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi was announced yesterday October 22, which also happens to be Niloofar's birthday. Both journalists had previously been detained for covering the death of Mahsa Amini and its aftermath. Niloofar Hamedi had shared a photograph depicting the grief of Mahsa Amini's family, featuring her parents, while Elahe Mohammadi wrote a report on Mahsa's funeral titled <A Nation in Mourning.> The 15th branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Abulqasem Salavati, sentenced Elahe to 12 years in prison and Niloofar to 13 years in prison. Adding to the severity of the punishment, they were also barred from engaging in journalism, as well as social and political activities for two years. Many have since taken to social media platforms to express their outrage at the severity of these sentences.
Sadness and Outrage at Harsh Sentencing
Few individuals have articulated the injustice done to Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi more eloquently than Mohammad Hossein Ajarlou and Saeed Parsaei - husbands of the two women. They are clinging to hope in a judicial system that has held their loved ones in captivity for 13 long months, all because they dared to tell the truth. Over these 13 months, Ajarlou and Parsaei have written extensively about the injustices perpetrated against their wives. However, the posts made in the hours following the official announcement of the journalists' sentences reveal an added layer of despair and sorrow. In his first post on the X, formerly known as Twitter, Saeed Parsaei shared an image of Elahe and Niloofar, with her back to the sun and hands raised in victory, along with these words: <Shame on you oppressors, for what you are doing to honor and humanity.> Mohammad Hossein Ajarlou said, <These sentences are the result of Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi's honest and honorable work.> He added: <They've not only been handed a 25-year prison sentence [in total] but also a ludicrous ban on practicing journalism. We still hold hope that these judgments will be overturned and that Elahe and Niloofar will be set free at the earliest possible moment.> A mere few hours before the pronouncement of this verdict, he marked his wife's 31st birthday. <May I be sacrificed for you,> Ajarlou added. <Today, you've turned 31, while having turned 30 last year in the detention center,> he wrote on X. <We're uncertain how many more birthdays you'll spend behind those walls, as it remains unclear how long it takes to write a judgment. Nevertheless, we know that, together, we will triumph over all adversity and celebrate freedom,> he wrote.
Elahe's sister, Elnaz Mohammadi, who is also a journalist, posted similarly heartbroken messages.
Elnaz wrote on X, <Now you've been sentenced to 12 years in prison. I've been whispering those two words all morning: 12 years, 12 years! Then I read that everyone is saying it'll be reduced to six years, and I whisper again: six years? Six years? Oh, my captive little bird, I'm frustrated at not being able to change a thing.> Beyond family members, several other journalists, from seasoned Iranian journalist Mohammed Aghazadeh to Elahe and Niloufer's friends and colleagues, expressed similar grief and astonishment at the cruel punishments handed down by the Islamic Republic's judicial system up to this point and its intentions for the future. In this vein, Aghazadeh wrote on X: <I despise, feel ashamed, and reproach myself for choosing the path of journalism [yet] my inability to assist two young colleagues, Elahe Mohammadi and Nilufar Hamedi.> Yashar Sultani, a journalist previously imprisoned for exposing corruption in Tehran, posted: <Do you realize that the sentence for [Revolutionary Guards officer responsible for] the Ukrainian plane crash was more lenient than these two dear female journalists?> Apart from individual journalists, the Tehran Journalists Union, one of the few remaining journalists' unions in Iran, also opposed these verdicts in a statement. The association, which had earlier called for a public trial for Elahe and Niloofar, reiterated this demand and said, <Persuading public opinion through closed (both in camera and unannounced) trials and referencing unexamined documents in open court, especially in the current circumstances of the country, is unacceptable.>
Where is the Justice?
Milad Alavi, a reporter at Shargh newspaper and a colleague of Niloofar, also voiced his concerns in a tweet saying that the sentences give to Niloofar and Elahe exposed legal flaws in their cases and were therefore unjust. In light of these mistakes and inaccuracies, including erroneously introducing Aida Ghajar, a senior reporter for IranWire, as an <editor-in-chief,> social media users have viewed these errors as evidence of a case being built against Niloofar and Elahe. Journalists and civil activists are not the only ones to have decried the unfairness of the sentences and the errors in the case. Lawyers have also taken a stand. Legal experts have emphasized that the charges against the two journalist have lacked evidentiary support.
The Dadban legal group, which offers legal counsel to arrested protesters and the families of those killed, posting on X, was among those that highlighting the illegitimacy of the verdict and sentences. <The charge 'endangering national security' lacks concrete and practical examples in the case. Essentially, within the context of the accusation of 'collaboration with hostile states,' aside from the fact that there is no clear definition of this accusation in the law and the meaning of 'hostile state' is not defined, the proof of committing a criminal act (collaboration) is highly questionable. From a legal standpoint, 'collaboration' is a concept where a shared intention and motive for cooperation are prerequisites for the commission of a criminal act,> the group said. And other individuals, including lawyers in exile, have raised questions about Judge Abulqasem Salavati's actions and his perceived alignment with Iranian security agencies. Tanaz Kolahchian, a lawyer, tweeted: <A so-called court known as Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, which seems to take pride in issuing heavy and unjust sentences. I believe there is no will or thought in crafting these judgments.> Others have also noted the recent declaration by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which recognized only Israel as a hostile country, indicating that the accusation of <collaboration with hostile governments> runs contrary to laws and procedures even within the Islamic Republic itself.
A Social Media Storm: Celebrating the Integrity of Truth-Tellers
A significant portion of Persian language users on the X social network and Instagram have meanwhile celebrated Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi as <Champions of Truth.> The passionate movement, which has gained momentum in Iran since the evening of Sunday, October 22, seeks to amplify the voices of these two journalists and their families. Activists have gained a warm reception from various and sometimes divergent groups.
From civil activists within Iran, environmental advocates, lawyers and legal experts, to journalists both within and beyond Iran's borders, the resounding chorus remains consistent; freedom for Elahe and Niloofar.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/journalism-is-not-a-crime/121796-iranians-outraged-at-brutal-jail-terms-for-mahsa-amini-journalists/

NCRI - Womens committee - Oct 22 2023 - in Women's News
<<Two journalists are sentenced to 25 years for reporting the truth on Mahsa Amini’s death
The two journalists who had reported on Mahsa Amini's death and burial ceremony have been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi have been imprisoned for more than one year for reporting the truth. They spent some months in the notorious Qarchak Prison and were relocated to Evin Prison on May 1, 2023. The 15th Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Niloufar Hamedi to 13 years and Elaheh Mohammadi to 12 years in jail. The notorious judge Salavati issued the verdicts. Niloufar Hamedi is sentenced to seven years for <collaboration with the US hostile government,> five years for <assembly and collusion for committing crimes against national security,> and one year for <propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran.>
The two journalists have also received supplementary punishments, including two years of bans on membership in parties, groups, and political groups, activity in cyberspace, media, and the press. If the verdicts are upheld, Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi will have to serve seven and six years, respectively. The first and second sessions of the trial of the two journalists were held on May 30, and July 25, 2023. Niloufar Hamedi, a photojournalist for Shargh newspaper, took and published the first photo of Mahsa Amini in a coma at the hospital. Elaheh Mohammadi, a journalist for Ham-Mihan newspaper, published a report on Mahsa’s funeral and an interview with her father. Niloufar Hamedi was arrested on September 22, 2022, and Elaheh Mohammadi on September 23.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/10/22/two-journalists-sentenced-25-years/

 Iranwire - October 18, 2023
<<Open Letter in Support of Jailed Iranian Journalists Hamedi, Mohammadi
An open letter signed by 200 Iranian journalists and writers decried the continued incarceration of Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, who have been jailed for more than an year for their coverage of Mahsa Amini's death while in police custody. The letter, which was published by Shargh newspaper on October 17, calls for the immediate release of the two women. <We, the journalists and writers of Iran, stress that we will not tolerate arbitrary, extra-legal and contradictory actions that infringe upon the freedoms guaranteed by the constitution. Such actions provide fertile ground for those who wish ill upon the people,> it reads.
The signatories noted that the defendants are still awaiting the verdicts nearly three months after their separate trials ended following two closed-door hearings. Hamedi and Mohammadi are being held at Tehran's Evin prison. They are accused of collaborating with the <hostile> government of the United States, colluding to commit crimes against national security, and engaging in propaganda activities against the regime. Before her arrest, Hamedi captured an image of Amini's parents embracing each other at a Tehran hospital while their daughter was in a coma, and shared the photo on Twitter. Mohammadi covered Amini's funeral in her hometown of Saqqez, where nationwide protests sparked by the 22-year-old woman's death first erupted. According to the New York-based media freedom watchdog, the Islamic Republic has detained at least 95 journalists during last year's nationwide protests. Many have been released on bail while awaiting trial or summonses to serve multi-year sentences.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/journalism-is-not-a-crime/121636-open-letter-in-support-of-jailed-iranian-journalists-hamedi-mohammadi/

iranwire - October 11, 2023
<<Iranian Journalist Maroofian Flees Persecution to France
Nazila Maroofian, an Iranian journalist who was arrested four times in the past year, left for France after receiving death threats. <I was forced to leave my homeland. I wanted to seek refuge in a country that upholds human rights, where I can share my experiences and those of people like me and my colleagues,> Maroofian said in an emotional Instagram video posted on October 10. Maroofian had bruises around one of her eyes which the journalist said were inflicted during her 15-day incarceration in Iraq's Sulaymaniyah prison, near the Iranian border. She also said she had received death threats from the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic. Maroofian was initially arrested in November 2022 following the publication of an interview with the father of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, whose death in police custody sparked months of nationwide protests. In September, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to one year in prison on the charge of <propaganda against the system.> Maroofian revealed in her Instagram video that after her temporary release from her latest arrest, she and her family were summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence.
There, an intelligence agent looked into her mother's eyes and declared, <Your daughter is going to be killed.> >>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/journalism-is-not-a-crime/121417-iranian-journalist-maroofian-flees-persecution-to-france/

Iranwire - October 2, 2023 , 2023
<<Shargh Reporter Arrested in Tehran
Iran's Shargh newspaper says security forces arrested one of its reporters on October 2. It said that Maryam Lotfi was taken into custody after visiting Fajr Air Force Hospital to report on the situation of a girl who had lost consciousness in the Tehran subway. According to some reports, a high school girl was sent to the hospital after sustaining a head injury in the subway. The incident reportedly occurred when an officer pushed her to try to force her to wear a mandatory headscarf. No information has been provided regarding the reasons for Lotfi''s arrest or the agency responsible for it.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/journalism-is-not-a-crime/121113-shargh-reporter-arrested-in-tehran/

Iranwire - September 25, 2023
<<Iranian Influential Women: Masih Alinejad (1976-Present)
These years, hardly a day goes by without the name of Masih Alinejad, a journalist and women's rights activist, appearing on social media or on domestic and foreign media. Masoumeh (Masih) Alinejad was born on September 11, 1976, in the village of Ghomi Kola in the northern province of Mazandaran. Her family was extremely religious and its female members wore the hijab, even in the confines of the home. For Masih as a child, hijab was not just a piece of cloth on her head; it was a symbol of all of Iran's social and religious restrictions and represented the extreme pressure exerted on girls and women in the country. She became politically active at an early age. In 1996, agents of the Intelligence Ministry arrested the pregnant Alinejad, her brother and her then husband for distributing leaflets and posting graffiti that criticized the Islamic Republic. The Revolutionary Court tried them without giving them access to a lawyer. Alinejad was soon released but her brother and husband spent two and a half years in prison. <The media wrote nothing about us,> she told IranWire. <I was thinking that a lot of people pay the price in villages and provincial towns and the media never talks about them. So, I decided to leave the provinces and go to Tehran. I did not want to belong to a small student group that the government could suppress without paying a price. And it did suppress us. But if I worked for newspapers I could criticize more loudly. When I joined reformist newspapers I could criticize those in power from close up. I went to Tehran and decided that I wanted to become a journalist.> In 2001, Alinejad began her journalism career with Hamshahri newspaper. She contributed to many other reformist newspapers, including Shargh and Bahar, most of which were later banned. Later, she became the parliamentary reporter for the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA).
Before leaving Iran, she also reported and wrote for papers close to reformists such as Shargh, Bahar, Ham Mihan and Etemad-e Melli. Her style was aggressive, which did not endear her to many Islamic Republic politicians. In 2005, she disclosed in an article that members of parliament were being paid huge sums in New Year bonuses and supported her claim by reproducing three of their pay stubs. This created an uproar, and many MPs criticized her for using abusive language. After this, she was banned from entering parliament. But Alinejad continued her investigative journalism. In the aftermath of the disputed 2009 presidential election, while the government was denying that there had been any violence committed against demonstrators, she was able to document and publish the names of 57 people who were killed during the protests. After the election, the government launched an extensive crackdown on freedom of speech and arrested many journalists, bloggers and people who were active on social networks. Feeling imminent danger, Alinejad decided to leave Iran for the UK. Before leaving the country she wrote two books including A Crown of Thorns, which was about her own life and her expulsion from parliament as a reporter. Alinejad has since published three other books: I am Free, which deals with women's issues in Iran, was published in Germany because it was blacklisted by the Ministry of Culture and Guidance; A Green Date, a novel about the aftermath of the 2009 presidential election; and The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran, about her journey from her native village to becoming a journalist and starting an online anti-forced hijab movement in Iran. Leaving Iran started a new chapter in Masih Alinejad's journalistic activities. In her early years outside Iran, she had yet to completely remove her hijab. She was a critic of both left and right opponents of the Islamic Republic who aimed at overthrowing the regime and promoted boycotting elections. This, however, did not prevent the Islamic Republic and its affiliated media outlet from smearing and attacking her. Gradually, Alinejad turned into one of the harshest and most active opponents of the Islamic Republic.>>
Read more here about this brave journalist:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/120868-iranian-influential-women-masih-alinejad-1976-present/

Iranwire - September 21, 2023
<<Journalist Covering Raisi’s New York Visit Assaulted, Threatened
Two videos posted online show members of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's delegation in New York assaulting and threatening a correspondent for the London-based Iran International news channel. The broadcaster said that the incidents occurred this week outside Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza hotel, near the United Nations' headquarters where world leaders have converged for the annual General Assembly. Iran International's correspondent Kian Amani was capturing footage of members of the Iranian delegation exiting the hotel when an <Iranian official from President Raisi's delegation attacked> him, it said. The video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows US security officers pushing the aggressor away from Amani and telling him, <Don't touch him> and <Get back.> In another incident filmed outside the same hotel, the head of protocol at Raisi's office, Reza Naqipour, told Amini, <Why is your hand trembling? You will tremble all your life....You are nothing to us, we have destroyed people bigger than you.> <I really like that your hand is trembling. You'll all be trembling like this for the rest of your life. All the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran must tremble....we are the main player in the region,> Naqipour continued. Jason Brodsky, policy director at the US non-profit advocacy organization United Against Nuclear Iran, criticized such <unacceptable behavior> and called on the US State Department to <address instances of transnational repression by Iran's regime against the Iranian diaspora> in New York. <Raisi should not have such a large delegation in the future,> he wrote on X. The Islamic Republic of Iran is among the world's top oppressors of journalists and free speech. The incidents in New York came after Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib said that Persian-language media outlets operating outside of Iran are <enemy media> and <will not be safe.>
Last year, Iran International announced it had temporarily shifted its broadcast operations to Washington after UK police told it <about the existence of serious and immediate threats to the safety of Iranian journalists> working there.
Who Is Reza Naqipour
Naqipour was selected to become the head of protocol at the presidential office in December 2021, four months after the start of Raisi's presidency.
The man had been serving as the head of security at the Iranian football federation since August 2019. Before that, he held the position of deputy security chief at the Municipality of Tehran. After the news of Naqipour's appointment at the presidential office broke, a source at the football federation told IranWire, <It was unbelievable because we believed that someone appointed as the head of protocol at the presidential office should at least know one international language, such as English or Arabic, or a language suitable for attending official meetings.> <Mr. Naqipour couldn't even speak Persian correctly,> the source added.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/120771-journalist-covering-raisis-new-york-visit-assaulted-threatened/
 

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