Iran: Maryam Shokrani Faces Second Legal Case
CFWIJ and WPF outraged by the continuous legal harassment against the joournalist
Location: Iran, Tehran
Date: November 22, 2023
The Coalition for Women in Journalism and Women Press Freedom condemns the unwarranted legal harassment faced by Iranian journalist Maryam Shokrani, the economic editor of Iran's Shargh newspaper. Shokrani has been subjected to legal action by Iranian authorities for her journalism on the tragic death of a teenage girl Armita Geravand in the Islamic Republic. This blatant attempt to strangle the press and journalistic freedom is unacceptable, and it is pertinent to denounce the intimidation of journalists who are only doing their jobs highlighting important stories. We continue our call for the international community to increase pressure on Iran to release Maryam Shokrani and all other journalists it’s holding behind bars.
Maryam Shokrani has been targeted with a second legal case within a short period. On November 22, 2023, she revealed through her Twitter and Instagram accounts that her case was abruptly moved to Branch 1058 of the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office, bypassing preliminary investigations. Shokrani expressed her concerns about being denied the chance to defend herself, highlighting the injustice and opacity of the legal process against her.
Shokrani faced these legal actions amid a major crackdown on journalists who were covering the death of Geravand, a 16-year-old girl assaulted at a metro station in Tehran on October 1 for not wearing a headscarf. The teenager succumbed to her injuries after 28 days in a coma.
Shokrani is not the only journalist targeted. Sara Masoumi, Milad Alavi, and Omid Tosheh have faced threats and intimidation from the authorities, either being summoned or arrested for their reporting on the teenager’s death. In October, CFWIJ documented the arrest of Negar Ostad Agha, a prominent journalist and senior editor at Etemad Online, who was detained while reporting on the funeral. These arrests, legal actions, and intimidations of members of the press underscore a distressing environment for journalists and raise concerns for their safety, as they report on societal issues of critical nature.
Shokrani’s targeting is not an isolated incident, as it is reflective of a troubling trend of press suppression in Iran. This year alone, CFWIJ recorded at least 25 press freedom violationas by Iran against women journalists. This particular pattern of silencing crucial voices in the press by the Iranian state is a serious violation of human rights and press freedom.
The Coalition for Women in Journalism extends solidarity with Shokrani and urges the international community to increase its pressure on authorities to immediately stop harassing the journalist by weaponizing the law.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help women career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.