On Tuesday evening, three female journalists currently detained in Iran were awarded the UN’s top prize for press freedom for their commitment to truth and accountability. The winners are Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, who reported on the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody last September, and Narges Mohammadi, a journalist and activist. Amini’s passing sparked protests in dozens of Iranian cities, which were among the most significant threats to the Islamic Republic since the 2009 Green Movement rallies.
The UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize is named after Guillermo Cano, a Colombian journalist assassinated in 1986, and has been awarded annually on May 3 to coincide with World Press Freedom Day since 1997. UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay announced the winners, stating that it is essential to pay tribute to all women journalists who are prevented from doing their jobs and who face threats and attacks on their personal safety.
Chair of the international jury of media professionals that selected the winners, Zainab Salbi, stated that the three journalists’ work “led to a historical women-led revolution,” and the jury is committed to honoring them and ensuring their voices continue to be heard until they are safe and free. However, in late April, Iran’s judiciary revealed that Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi had been charged with working with the US, violating national security, and spreading propaganda against the system.
Narges Mohammadi has been arrested and imprisoned by the government several times and is now serving a 16-year term in Evin Prison. Despite this, she continues to publish articles from prison and has spoken with other women prisoners for her book, “White Torture.” Mohammadi is the deputy director of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre, a civil society group based in Tehran, and has received recognition from other countries for her efforts, particularly her opposition to the death sentence in Iran. Iran has executed more people than any other country in the world.
While nearly 100 journalists have been detained during protests in Iran, Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi’s reporting was crucial in spreading awareness of the outrage that followed Mahsa Amini’s death. Hamedi works for the reformist newspaper Shargh, while Mohammadi and Elaheh Mohammadi both work for the reformist journal Ham-Mihan. According to human rights activists in Iran, at least 529 people have died during protests.
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