Today, Thursday, January 1, 2025, at least 9 journalists and media activists are imprisoned in Iran; Nasrin Hasani in Bojnurd, Zhina Madras Gorji in Sanandaj, Shirin Saeedi, Vida Rabani, Saideh Shafiei, Rouhollah Nakhaei, Mostafa Naemati, Reza Valizadeh, and Cecilia Sala in Tehran.
Saideh Shafiei, a journalist and novelist, returned to Evin Prison to continue serving her sentence on Friday, September 6, 2024, despite suffering from illness. She has been sentenced to three years, seven months, and 16 days in prison.
Shirin Saeedi was arrested and transferred to Evin Prison on December 23, 2023, after being summoned to the prosecutor’s office. This economic journalist was sentenced to five years in prison in a lower court.
Vida Rabani, a political journalist and activist residing in Tehran, was arrested on October 24, 2022, during the protests for “Women, Life, Freedom.” She is currently serving a three-year prison sentence.
Zhina Madras Gorji, a journalist living in Sanandaj and women’s rights activist, was arrested on Saturday, November 2, 2024, after visiting the Criminal Execution Branch in Sanandaj and has been transferred for a 16-month prison term.
Nasrin Hasani was arrested on January 4, 2024, after visiting Branch 2 of the Bojnurd Prosecutor’s Office to execute her sentence. This journalist, who is also the editor-in-chief of the weekly “Sihayat Sharq,” is serving a sentence of one year and seven months.
Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist who traveled to Iran on a journalistic visa, was arrested in Tehran on December 19, 2024. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance accused her of “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Rouhollah Nakhaei, a journalist residing in Tehran, was arrested on February 20, 2024, after visiting Evin Prison’s execution branch to serve his two-year sentence.
Reza Valizadeh, a former Radio Farda reporter, was arrested shortly after returning to Iran by the security agencies of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian-American journalist has been sentenced to 10 years in prison along with additional penalties.
Mostafa Naemati, an economic journalist and researcher, is imprisoned in Evin Prison. He has been serving a sentence of 40 months since October 29, 2024.