Iran: Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2020

18.01.2021 - Three women journalists released

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned of the release of three women journalists in recent weeks. One is Negar Masoudi, a photographer and documentary filmmaker who was released on bail of 1.5 billion toman (3 million euros) on 9 January pending trial. She was arrested on 1 November for photographing the disfigured faces of women who were the victims of a wave of acid attacks in the central city of Isfahan in October 2014.

Nada Sabouri and Roghieh (Ashraf) Nafari were released after receiving pardons on 5 December in connection with Iran’s religious festivities. A former journalist and civil society activist, Sabouri was arrested by officials from the Tehran prosecutor’s office on 7 August 2020 and was taken to Evin prison to serve a sentence of three and a half years in prison. Nafari had been returned to prison in October to begin serving a three-month sentence for tweets criticizing the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis.