Top UN journalism prize goes to imprisoned Iranian women
'It is important to pay tribute to all women journalists who are prevented from doing their jobs and who face threats and attacks on their personal safety'
Niloufar Hamedi, Elaheh Mohammadi and Narges Mohammadi jointly won the United Nations’ top prize for journalists, “for their commitment to truth and accountability.” The UNESCO prize coincides with World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
“Now more than ever, it is important to pay tribute to all women journalists who are prevented from doing their jobs and who face threats and attacks on their personal safety,” said UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay as part of the awards ceremony.
The three female Iranians were imprisoned by the Ayatollah's regime for charges of collaborating with the United States, acting against national security, and creating “propaganda against the system.” Nearly 100 journalists were arrested as part of the crackdown against the widespread demonstrations.
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A civil protest movement swept across the Islamic Republic, triggered by Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amin's death last September 16. She died three days after her arrest by the morality police, for allegedly violating the strict dress rules for women. Hamedi broke the news of the death, and Mohammadi wrote about the funeral.
Thousands of people were arrested, hundreds killed and at least four people executed because of the unrest, with Iran labeling the protests as foreign-instigated "riots." An Iranian chess player even competed without a hijab, as a gesture in support of the anti-regime protests back home, and had an arrest warrant issued against her.
In response to the widespread protests, Iran’s police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said those who remove their headscarves will be identified using "smart equipment." The authorities response so far was with a crackdown that saw four men hanged in protest-related cases – executions that prompted an international outcry.
The UN Human Rights Council denounced the rising number of executions in Iran, and deplored the "systematic discrimination and violence based on gender, ethnicity, religion or belief, or political opinion.” Javaid Rehman, the UN special rapporteur on the rights situation in Iran, went on to warn that widespread murder, imprisonment, torture, and sexual violence could amount to crimes against humanity.