Journalist Elaheh Mohammadi, who reports on society and women, was banned from writing for the press for a year upon a complaint filed by the IRGC Intelligence Organization. The ban was due to her reporting on the conditions of women in Qarchak Prison, women’s issues, and the IRGC’s downing of the Ukrainian airliner in January 2020.
On December 23, 2021, journalist Elahe Mohammadi wrote about this on her personal Twitter account. “In April 2020, I wrote a report for khabaronline.ir about the conditions in Qarchak prison in the days of the Coronavirus outbreak. When the report was published, the IRGC Intelligence sued me. The case was filed on charges of propaganda against the state and spreading lies to disturb the public mind. After several interrogation sessions by the IRGC regarding the report on the downing of the Ukrainian plane, the November 2019 (protests), my activities in the harassment watchdog group, and my reports on issues related to women, I was arraigned of the charges and granted bail of 150 million Tomans.”
Elaheh Mohammadi worked with state-controlled media outlets such as Shahrvand, Khabar Online, and Etemad Online in the past years.
The court banned her from writing in the media from April 2020 to April 2021. On December 23, 2021, Criminal Court No.2 fined her for spreading lies.
Journalist Elaheh Mohammadi was among 11 journalists who issued a declaration in 2020, criticizing the Association of Journalists in Tehran Province for maintaining silence about sexual assault on women who work in the press and media. They formed the Assembly to Combat Sexual Harassment of Women in the Media.
Iran, the largest prison for female journalists
Under the mullahs’ rule, Iran is the world’s largest prison for journalists and the largest prison for female journalists. In 2020, the clerical regime harassed, intimidated, arrested, or imprisoned many female journalists were. They included journalists Negar Massoudi, Mehrnoush Tafian, Kowsar Karimi, Aliyeh Motallebzadeh, Shabnam Ashouri, Nada Sabouri, Mowloud Hajizadeh, Raha Asgarizadeh, Zeinab Rahimi, and Elaheh Mousavi.
Journalist Mahtab Qolizadeh
Journalist Mahtab Qolizadeh was arraigned last month for propaganda against the state, assembly, and collusion against national security, and encouraging corruption by attempting to enter the stadium during the game between Iran and Syria. She was released on bail of 1 billion Tomans.
In recent months, Ms. Qolizadeh has been under pressure from security forces and summoned twice to the Evin Courthouse in three months.
