On Monday, behind closed doors, the trial of an Iranian journalist began on charges related to her coverage of the funeral of young Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, whose death after being detained by the police last year led to months of widespread unrest, as stated by her lawyer to the Iranian Labor News Agency.
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, after her detention by the morality police for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes, ignited massive protests across Iran for several months and posed the most significant challenge to the clerical rule that has persisted for decades in the country.
Journalist Elaheh Mohammadi covered Amini's funeral in her hometown of Saqqez, where the spark of the protests began. The Islamic Republic has accused its foreign adversaries of instigating the protests to destabilize the country.
Lawyer Shahabedin Mirlohi told the Iranian Labor News Agency, "The trial of Elaheh Mohammadi is proceeding well. The court will announce the date of the next session." He was not immediately reachable for further comments.
Mohammadi, a reporter for the reformist newspaper Ham Mihan, is being tried in Tehran alongside reporter Niloufar Hamidi from the newspaper Shargh, facing charges of "collusion with hostile forces" for their coverage of Amini's death. Their potential punishment could reach the death penalty.
A statement from the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence in October accused Mohammadi and Hamidi of being agents for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Hamidi captured an image of Amini's parents embracing in a Tehran hospital, where their daughter lay in a coma. This photo, published by Hamidi on Twitter, was the first indication to the world that Amini's condition was critical.
Both journalists have been held in the notorious Evin prison in Iran since September, and their trials will be conducted separately. According to judicial authorities, Hamidi's trial is set to begin tomorrow, Tuesday. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly ignored calls from human rights groups for a public trial for the two journalists.
