Iran: Two journalists sentenced to three years for conspiracy

Iranian journalists Negin Bagheri and Elnaz Mohammedi are set to spend a month in prison after being sentenced to three years for conspiracy and collusion, Iranian media have reported.

Their lawyer, Amir Raisian, told the reformist daily Ham Mihan, which employs Ms Mohammedi, “the remaining period is suspended [for] five years” when they will be compelled to take “professional ethics training” and barred from leaving the country.

[ Iran starts trial of female journalist who covered Mahsa Amini’s death ]

Ms Mohammedi’s sister, Elaheh, was imprisoned last year for reportingon the funeral of Mahsa Amini (22) for Ham Mihan. Ms Amini was arrested for allegedly failing to wear her headscarf, or hijab, as mandated by the ruling clerics and died on September 16th in the custody of the morality police.

Niloofar Hamedi, a reporter with the pro-reform daily, Shargh, was incarcerated at the same time for breaking the story by publishing photographs of a comatose Ms Amini in hospital. The women were charged with “conspiring with foreign powers to undermine state security”.

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Time magazine named the women among the world’s most influential 100 people in April. Their separate trials began in May. They remain confined in the security wing of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.

More than 100 journalists have been detained since women-led nationwide anti-hijab protests were triggered by Ms Amini’s death. Thousands of students, trade unionists and professionals took to the streets for seven months calling for the overthrow of the clerical regime. More than 500 protesters were killed and 18,000 detained.

The authorities have cracked down on all dissidents and imposed prison terms on hijab-resisting women and punishments for institutions, universities and businesses that admit them. For the ruling clerics, observance of the hijab is seen as a pillar of the regime.

[ Iranian mothers choosing exile: ‘I would lose this arm rather than abandon my daughter to my government’s nightmare’ ]

On the diplomatic front, BBC Monitoring reported that Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has told the moderate Ettela’at daily that Tehran and Washington are continuing negotiations on a new agreement mediated by Omani sultan Haitham bin Tariq. Mr Amir-Abdollahian said Iran could not base its future policy on the 2015 deal for lifting sanctions on Iran in exchange for limiting its nuclear programme. A new deal would amend the original agreement, which was abandoned in 2018 by former US president Donald Trump, the minister said.

[ ‘You will be killed’: Iran’s female journalists speak out on brutal crackdown ]

Since EU-sponsored talks on the agreement were suspended a year ago, the Biden administration has entered other indirect negotiations with Iran over an exchange of prisoners and the release of $6 billion (€5.6 billion) in Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks.

Talks on the nuclear deal stalled when Iran demanded guarantees of US compliance upon re-entry, and administration and congressional anti-Iran hawks pressed for removal of US chief negotiator Robert Malley, who favoured US return. His security clearance was revoked and he was placed on unpaid leave by the state department. He is set to lecture at Yale and Princeton this academic year.