Two brilliant women journalists of Iran tore open the Iranian oppressive regime still in jails yet awarded
Mobilenews24x7 Bureau (Exclusive)
The death of 22 year old Mahsa Amin cannot altogether go unheard of. Like darkness matures to daylight likewise freedom of press cannot be strangulated by suppressions of speech.
It were a dare devil coverage when Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, Iranian journalists, first broke the killing of Mahsa Amin and today both after treacherous hiatus of incarceration have been got the due on the shape of being awarded the 2023 WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom awards at the World News Media Congress held in Taipei, Taiwan.
A tremendous feat that was and a fitting acknowledgement by the Awrad. Truth somehow prevails which reflects through the success of the above two scribes.
The awards were announced by the president of the World Editors Forum, Martha Ramos, on Wednesday, 27 June. “Let the press remain free once and for all,” she said while announcing the awards.
Morality police!
Walking back to the tracks left behind, Hamedi and Mohammadi were among the first journalists to cover the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by Iran’s morality police.
It was a near conflagration when her death sparked widespread anti-government protests in the country, leading to countless deaths, human rights violations, and incarcerations.
In the middle of that nightmare Hamedi and Mohammadi reported tearing through the maze of terrors unleashed in Iran.
However, they were at last arrested by the same Morality Police and like scores of others, both are in incarceration in Iran and continue to suffer for the splendid coverage.
Hamedi was arrested on 22 September 2022, whereas Mohammadi was taken into custody a few days later, on 29 September.
“[Their incarceration] is a desperate attempt to deflect onto two young journalists all the frustration and anger that has risen to the surface because of years of oppression, denial of rights, and control of the narrative.”
Martha Ramos, while announcing the awards reported in a website.
It further read that “The award recognises the bravery and determination “of two courageous young women whose journalism kept sight of truth as the Iranian regime attempted to rewrite history,” said WAN-IFRA, as per a press release.
The award is an annual award made by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) to recognise the outstanding action, in writing or deed, of an individual, a group, or an institution in the cause of press freedom, the association’s website reads.
