Masih Alinejad
Timeline of an Exiled Iranian Journalist Whose Activism Frightens The Regime
Masih Alinejad is an exiled journalist from Iran based in the United States. She is an author, an activist, a staunch women’s rights supporter, and founder of the online movement, My Stealthy Freedom. She works as a correspondent & producer for VOA Persian Service and is also a presenter for Radio Farda. She is a contributing editor for IranWire and a frequent contributor to Manoto Television.
2005
Masih Alinejad, a 28-year-old woman journalist, exposed a bonus scandal in the Iranian parliament. As a result, the Majles of the country banned her from parliamentary reporting. The Ban on Alinejad was condemned by prominent national newspapers.
2007
November 1
Masih wrote a book titled "Crown of Thorns" that shared details on how the conservative parliament of Iran was elected.
2013
January 24
Masih was targeted viciously on IRIB, Iran's state television. The programs directed audiences, especially political figures, against speaking to her. She was attacked with fabricated stories in a series of articles in Boultan News. The articles accused her of advertising a life outside the marital relationship.
November 7
"The victims of 88 (AKA 2009)”, a radio series produced by Masih Alinejad at Radio Farda of RFE/RL, won a highly commended award in the investigative documentary category. The series consisted of stories of the people who lost their lives while protesting against the results of the 2009 parliamentary elections in Iran.
2014
May 12
Thousands of Iranian women defying the country's stereotypical and conservative values joined Alinejad's online movement My Stealthy Freedom under the hashtag #WhiteWednesday. Within a matter of days, her Facebook page attracted more than 130,000 likes as the women of Iran kept sending her unveiled pictures from parks and streets of the country.
2015
February 24
Alinejad received a human rights award in Geneva for her online movement, My Stealthy Freedom. The award was given to her for giving voice to those unheard and stirring debate against the oppression of women.
2018
July 31
Masih Alinejad opened up about her struggles. She shared how her family disowned her after continuous state harassment. She had to flee her homeland because she was forced to leave for exposing the corruption. Her press accreditation was also revoked.
2019
July 29
Iranian regime announced a punishment of up to 10 years in prison for women who remove their veil in public. The announcement specifically mentioned the name Masih Alinejad, who has been rallying Iranian women against the forced hijab since 2014.
September 25
The Iranian regime arrested relatives of Masih Alinejad including her brother, Alireza Alinejad, and siblings of her former husband. They were warned not to contact Masih and were banned from leaving the town. Authorities told them that if they were in contact with Alinejad or her team, it would be considered a criminal offense.
December 5
Alinejad sued Iran in the United States federal court for harassing her and her family. She alleged that it is a persecution campaign supported by the regime. Her lawsuit sought monetary damages arising from nationwide protests against petrol prices.
2020
August 10
Alinejad shared that the Iranian regime has unleashed a social media campaign calling for her abduction. Jame-Jam, the country's widely read newspaper, threatened her to be ready and she will be kidnapped next.
October 21
The appellate court of Iran rejected the appeal of Alinejad's brother against his unjust sentence of eight years. CFWIJ condemns the move and calls for the immediate release of Alireza Alinejad. He was charged on unsubstantiated claims of "action against the country's security” and “insulting the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader".
2021
July 14
Masih Alinejad shared the shocking news of being the target of a kidnapping attempt, a plan foiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Four people who remained at large in Iran were convicted by the Federal court for orchestrating the plan. The FBI had been monitoring the suspects for months and informed Alinejad about the serious threat to her safety. The indictment did not name Alinejad, but she revealed she was the target.
2023
April 11
US federal court sentences Niloufar Bahadorifar, a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent, to four years in prison for helping fund the attempted kidnap of Masih Alinejad. According to U.S attorney Damien Williams, Bahadorifar “willfully violated sanctions and knowingly provided financial support to Iranian intelligence assets, who in turn were engaged in a plot to kidnap an Iranian human rights activist living in the United States whom the Iranian Government has sought to silence for years.” The judge said the court wanted to send a strong message to deter others who might aid Iran in targeting critics in the US
