ALBAWABA - Two Iranian journalists have won WAN-IFRA’s 2023 Golden Pen of Freedom over their role last September in exposing the death of Mahsa Amini, which triggered nationwide protests against weak women's rights in Iran.
On Sept. 13, 22-year-old Iranian woman was arrested by the country's morality police for wearing her hijab inproperly. She was detained in Tehran and died after 3 days causing anger among Iranians who protestetsed compulsory of hijab.
Two journalists; Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, were one of the first to report Mahsa Amini’s story and share it worldwide, "showing their commitment to freedom of the press, equality, and justice," World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers reported.
The two journalists were awarded WAN-IFRA’s 2023 Golden Pen of Freedom for ther bravity; Hamedi was on the few to report about Mahsa Amini's brutal attack at the begining by Iran's morality police upon which Amini was hospitalized and fell into a coma.
Iranian police raided the journalist's house for sharing Amini story and releasing a photo of the 22-year-old woman's parent in the hospital, and jailed her.
(Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)
Meanwhile, Mohammadi was called by Iranian security forces after covering Amini’s funeral in Saqqiz city. The journalist highlighted an article in Hammihan newspaper, in which she quoted Amini’s parents who called people to protest calling for the right of Mahsa Amini and seeking justice.
Mohammadi was arrested on her way to the police station on Sept. 29, 2022.
Following the journalists' arrests, "Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and the intelligence agency of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard have accused Hamedi and Mohammadi of planning to orchestrate nationwide protests with their reporting, and have charged them with national security crimes," according to the organization.
Many human rights adcoates and activists are worried that the two jounalists are under risk f being executed as many people earlier were senteced to death after participating in Mahsa Amini's nationwide protests.
