In a concerning trend of surging convictions against journalists, two female journalists, Saeedeh Shafiee and Nasim Sultan Beigi, have been handed sentences totaling over eight years by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari.

Shafiee and Sultan Beigi each received three years and seven months for “assembly and collusion against national security” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” Furthermore, they face a two-year ban on joining civil and political groups and are subject to a travel ban.
Their co-defendant, Mehrnoosh Zarei Hanzaki, was acquitted of all charges.

During the court session held on July 3, 2023, the trial took an alarming turn as the judge introduced statements from the defendants’ social media accounts unrelated to the charges, criticizing their opinions on compulsory Hijab, causing further distress.

The case has drawn international attention, with Human Rights Watch expressing deep concerns about the charges brought against these journalists for expressing their opinions and practicing their profession.